


The Chimera Ant King

by TheCeruleanWreath87



Series: The Queen's Royal Guard [3]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-13 01:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 31,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15353628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCeruleanWreath87/pseuds/TheCeruleanWreath87
Summary: This will focus mainly on the Royal Guards' troubles during the short life of Meruem. The King does grant them more freedom with their recreational activities. A large number of events in this will diverge from canon.





	1. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King is born. The Royal Guards follow him as he departs from the nest. The remaining ants decide to do as they please. The Hunter Association has to take action. Shaiapouf feels as if he is entitled to carry on the Chimera Ant Queen's vision for a perfect King.

The King entered the world with a tear. He ripped out of his sac within moments, causing severe internal injuries to his mother. The Chimera Ant Queen howled in pain as the King tore his way out without a care. Full waves of amniotic fluid were splashed in every direction, coating everything within a large radius. The Queen writhed in pain as various internal organs were crushed badly. 

The King stood, covered in the amniotic fluid. All the Squadron Leaders in the room gasped in shock at the amount of aura emanating from the Kong's body. His green tail coiled and uncoiled several times. He was already adapting to the real world. He turned around to face all the inferior ants. The King gave the crowding Squadron Leaders a demonic grin. His eyes pierced through their souls.

"I hunger. Bring me food," the newborn demanded, his eyes on everyone in the room.

 _T_ _his_ _is_ _o_ _ur_ _Ki_ _ng?_ Colt wondered in fear.

All the Squadron Leaders present gasped in fear. Even Bihorn, the largest and strongest Squadron Leader, was forced to sit on the sidelines. He watched as his Queen began the process of death before his very eyes. The much-smaller ants Colt and Cheetu continued to watch the newborn with him. So did the five other Squadron Leaders in the room.

"Your Majesty!" yelled a desperate voice. 

Heavy, fast footsteps were heard advancing towards the room. Peggy carried his prized book in his arm as he rushed towards the scene. He entered the room and stopped, about seven feet away from the King. He noticed the King, but he then turned his attention to the Queen. Her body was left in a messy, yellow mess by her son's actions. The King looked back at his mother, noticing the penguin-like Chimera Ant's concern for her. He did not understand it. 

"Your Majesty!" Peggy cried, once again. 

Peggy's first step towards the Queen didn't even make contact. The King brutally killed him with a single flick of his tail. Everything above Peggy's neck instantly vanished. A small amount of blue blood splashed onto Peggy's book, which now laid on the floor. The deceased Squadron Leader's stocky body fell to the floor, a small river of Chimera Ant blood spilling onto the floor.

All the viewers gasped as the hard realization crashed down onto them. Peggy was dead. His killer was standing right there, but there was nothing they could do. Even if they all attacked him at once, he would trim them down in mere seconds. If this being was born with an intimidating presence such as this, he would instantly sense any animosity directed towards him. The Squadron Leaders' looks of terror seemed to be the only reason they were all still alive. Yet, just standing here wasn't going to save the Queen.

Colt gritted his teeth as he observed the scene before him. He glanced past the King to see the Queen barely hanging on to her life. He then looked over at Peggy's body. The penguin hadn't even seen the King's tail before it ended his life. Colt reminisced all the moments he had ever enjoyed with Peggy. Bihorn and Cheetu stared at Peggy's body in fear. Meleoron's chameleon eyes widened to new limits. His expression was easy to read.

 _What do I do?_ Colt thought, the tension in the air getting to him.

The King noticed Colt's uneasy expression. He stared at him with an unfathomable expression. "You," he said after a long silence. Colt's head jutted upward, his eyes immediately catching the purple eyes of the King. Any sign of disrespect could mean his death. On second that, Colt realized he could be killed just for the King's amusement. The King's tail raised in elevation. Colt noticed the blood stained on the tail's end. "Clean this off."

Colt looked into the King's eyes. His demand was unwavering. Bihorn and Cheetu glanced at their fellow Squadron Leader, both of them feeling sorry for him. From across the room, the other Squadron Leaders in the room gave Colt similar glances of sympathy. Colt narrowed his lips slightly and proceeded to step forward. He then heard heavy footsteps before a voice spoke.

"Ah, I just happen to have a handkerchief on me," said Turtle. His usually-squinting eyes were completely closed. He wore a steady smile as he spoke. He rubbed his small patch of white hair with his large, scaly left hand. His head vanished in an instant. The Squadron Leaders jumped as one of their own was easily killed before their eyes. His headless body remained, continuing to stand despite the loss of its head, and it's central control unit.

The King's expression remained unchanged. He glanced at Colt again. Colt walked over to the standing corpse of Turtle. He took the handkerchief from the dead body's right hand. His grip had loosened with his death. Colt was extremely lucky. He did not wish for the King to grow impatient with him. He walked towards the King. He heard Bihorn gulp.

Colt got behind the King. He grabbed the King's tail with his free hand. He proceeded to wipe off the blood of his fallen comrades. This monster had killed them in cold blood, but Colt was now forced to clean the murder weapon. He looked up at the back of the King. The latter was not facing him and stood in a casual pose. Colt imagined he was testing the will of the bystanders. He did not wish to implore the situation any further. Once he was satisfied, the King removed his tail from Colt's hands. Colt then became submerged in thought. 

 _His power is unrivaled...None of us could stand up to him on his death bed...He's not going to let us heal the Queen, his own mother,_ Colt thought, his mouth twitching nervously.  _He is invincible. He was just born, and he's already done all **this.**  I'm useless. The Queen is suffering, and I'm just standing here. _

Colt heard a chewing sound. The King chewed on the foot of the dead Peggy. When the realization hit, Colt almost cried out to protest, but that would have meant the end of his life. The present Squadron Leaders did not have as close of a view as Colt did, but the effect was the same. A Chimera Ant had just performed cannibalism. The very thought of it was repulsive.

"I will not repeat myself. Where is my food?" the King demanded. He then looked around the room. He was greatly displaced. "Disgusting. This is a filthy place," the King said looking up at the ceiling. 

"This way, if you would."

The King looked in the direction of the voice. He looked over at the entrance to a pathway. He saw the three Royal Guards standing side by side. They were all bowing to him. This fact pleased him. The King gave them his full attention.

"The three of us will serve as your arms and legs...," said the smallest one, a cat-like ant.

"And fulfill all your desires," ended the largest, a red giant.

"We await your your command," finished the same first voice that spoke. It belonged to a butterfly man.

The King merely made a soft, surprising noise as he opened his mouth. He walked over to his three Royal Guards, leaving his mother to die. Colt and the others watched in shock as the four monsters left the scene. The four powerful ants walked down the hallway and away from the others, completely turning their backs to them.

"Help the Queen!" Bihorn roared once the Squadron Leaders were alone.

"Get Neferpitou-dono to help us!" shouted an octopus-like Chimera Ant.

Colt nodded vigorously. He jumped to his feet and wasted zero time. He ran down the hallway, the desperation clear on his face. Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi led to King towards their current destination. Neferpitou trailed slightly behind the King. Colt ran up to Neferpitou. The other three didn't care and continued to carry on.

"Neferpitou-dono! We need the power you used to heal that man! The Queen is dying! We beg of you!" Colt yelled. His expression was stern and demanding. 

Pitou turned her head to the side and gave Colt an eerie smile. She stared into his eyes for several seconds, the distance between her and her King increasing. "I only healed him because I need him. Now that the King has been born, she means nothing to the Royal Guard. She is no longer necessary," Pitou replied with a smile, wagging her clawed finger at Colt.

Pitou turned away from him and began to walk towards the King. As a member as the Royal Guard, it was simply natural for Pitou to completely turn away from the Queen. Colt understood this, but he wasn't about to let the one guaranteed opportunity to save the Queen slip by. He had to take action. Colt ran forward, and grabbed the oldest Royal Guard by the shoulder. Pitou stopped moving.

"The Queen gave _birth_ to you! You are alive because of _her!_ How can you possibly turn your back on her in her _one_ time of need? You are the _only_ one with the proper materials and skill to save her! I'm no longer _asking_ you, I'm _telling_ you! You need to save the Queen!" Colt demanded. He was stepping out of his place on the Chimera Ant hierarchy, but it was too late to turn back. He was furious. He didn't understand that to the Royal Guard, the King was top priority.

Pitou punched him in his face, sending him tumbling to the ground several feet away from her. His hand left her shoulder in a flash. Colt laid on the ground, completely in shock. One of the Royal Guards had struck him! His cheek felt as if it had been poked by hot needles. It felt a thousands times worse than Colt's initiation punch, which was powered by Rammot's fury.

"Given her injuries, the Queen will not last much longer. That means you're free to do whatever you want. I suggest you enjoy it," Pitou said, walking away from him. Her tail swished once again as she prepared to depart from the Chimera Ant Nest for the last time. Pitou then quickened her pace to reunite with the King, Pouf, and Youpi.

The punch left Colt stunned. He laid on the ground, close to crying for the first time in his second life. Bihorn and the Chimera Ant Octopus ran to him. They saw a large hand print on his cheek and concluded that Pitou had punched him. Bihorn picked Colt up and set on the ground. Colt whispered something under his breath.

"It's hopeless! She can't be saved. The Queen will die...," the Chimera Ant Octopus murmured, looking down at the ground.

With that, Colt jumped back to his senses. His body pumped with a massive adrenaline rush as he looked into the eyes of his comrades. The determined gleam that was a characteristic of Colt had returned. The firstborn Squadron Leader ran off, willing to do anything to save the Queen.

"Where are you going?" Bihorn asked, his thick mustache muffling his gruff voice.

"To get help!" Colt responded, not skipping a beat. Bihorn and the Chimera Ant Octopus stared at each other in confusion and fear. First, the Queen was dying and now Colt had gone crazy.

* * *

"We have prepared a meal for you on the roof," Pitou said to the newborn. She, Pouf, and Youpi stood in a small semi-circle around the King, who now seemed to be content with his treatment.

"Then, it would seem faster to get there from outside," the King stated. He raises his fist, and punched the wall. It crumbled, knocking the lowly Carpenter Ants' great work and dedication to the grassy terrain down below. The King stepped up to the new opening in the castle.

"Magnificent," Pitou said, clapping her large hands together. Pouf and Youpi eyed the King, pleased with their new leader's insane power. That was the thing that was _truly_ magnificent.

The King stuck his tail into the wall's exterior. Once the grip was clearly secure, he brought himself outside and propelled himself upward. His arms were crossed as he ascended up the castle's exterior. He landed on an extension on top of the castle. He landed and stuck his tail into the solid material, piercing it. He looked out onto the vast dimensions of NGL. The King's gaze was constant. He then looked to the right and saw the flying figure of Colt leaving the nest.

"Excuse me," Pouf said to his companions, closing his eyes as he stepped up to the new opening. He struck an elegant pose, placing one foot in front of the other. His luminous butterfly wings formed from his cape, and he lifted his arms out. He fluttered his wings several times before taking flight, eager to leave with the King.

Youpi stepped up to the plate. He watched as Pouf gracefully advanced towards the King. "That looks fun," he admonished, smiling. Pitou watched him with a smile. The skin on Youpi's back morphed to form his own pair of wings. He leapt out to fly. With a single flap of his wings, he crashed into the wall. The right side of his body could not be seen. "It seems I need practice."

"Seems so," Pitou agreed, scaling up the wall with her superhuman agility. She passed Youpi right as the latter removed himself from the wall. They both then caught up with the King and Pouf at the top.

"Up here, your Majesty," Pitou said, leaping to a chambered pillar high above the rest of the castle. Pouf stood on one of the pillars and started to play his violin for the King. Youpi decided to work on his flying abilities. Both of them bowed once more to the King before leaving his immediate side.

The King looked up at her before joining Pitou on the pillar. Inside was a Carpenter Ant-made chair and table set. The King sat down in the chair. Pitou stood in front of him, attention. On the table were these brown-colored spheres. The way Pitou gestured towards them revealed that they were the King's food. He eyed them curiously, arching his eyebrow at his subordinate. She bowed.

The King grabbed one of the spheres. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite. He chewed for several seconds, trying to determine the taste. It was not satisfying. He spit the food on the ground and wiped his mouth. Pitou's smile did not falter.

"You don't like it?"

"It is horrendously bland. This is repulsive."

"Well, we haven't really been seasoning our food," Pitou said, thinking back to her and Youpi's feast.

"That's not what I mean," the King began. He then smiled for the first time. "When I was in her belly, I occasionally received rich, savory meals. They were scrumptious. I would like to experience that feeling once again."

"Yes, your Majesty. Your wish is my command," Pitou then bowed again.

* * *

It did not take Colt long to locate Morel and Knov. The two men were hiding in a little secluded area, planning their next attack. As Colt drew near, the two of them were beginning to retreat. Knov conjured a portal and prepared to escape. "Should we retreat?" Knov asked, a tight frown forming beneath his nose.

"No. Something's up. Look," Morel responded, gesturing towards the approaching Colt.

It was true. In his hand, Colt held a white flag. His expression was very stoic and it showed that there was an urgency to his approach. Colt's very human face weirded the two men out to no end. It was frightening to see one of these bugs with a completely-human face. Knov got rid of his portal and waited with Morel as the ant approached. Colt stopped in the air in front of them. He waited no time getting down to the point.

"You have to help us! The Queen is dying, and the King has already been born! She can no longer reproduce!" Colt pleaded.

"What? It's too early!" Knov shouted in surprise.

"He is a monster! He has no regard for the life of a single living creature. He cares only for himself! He is...They are all _devils!"_ Colt shouted, exasperated. He gripped the pole of the flag, causing the tough wood to split where he gripped it.

"So, then, what will happen to the Squadron Leaders and all the other ants? What will they do if the Queen passes?" Knov questioned, looking onto Colt for an answer.

"They will go wild." Nothing else needed to be said.

"What's your name?" Morel asked.

"Colt."

"Colt, we need to take you to our boss. He will decide whether or not we act, and if we do, he will decide how. However, your life could possibly be taken from you if you come with us. Are you willing to walk along death if you come with us?" Morel asked, his tone serious.

"Absolutely. Time is of the essence."

"Good. Let's move out." Morel nodded to Knov. The younger man conjured a portal in front of him. Morel tossed him his pipe. Knov threw it through the portal, then proceeded to go through himself. Morel then entered. Colt followed, moving at a desperate pace.

* * *

"Peggy and Turtle...they were killed right before our eyes...," Bihorn sighed. "...And there was nothing we could've done."

"Don't blame yourself, Bihorn. It's their fault that they died. If they would've stayed put, they would still be with us," Bloster stated. His eyes were cold and unemotional. They stood around Turtle's corpse. "Peggy was a fool for thinking he could just ignore the King like that. As for Turtle, _that_ one should've never tried to be helpful."

 _"That's_ not the big problem. The problem is that he _ate_ them," Bihorn said. "The King ate two of his own, now he's probably killed his own mother. With conditions like this, our colony is going to fall apart."

"You said "two of his own", did you not?" Small Bear asked. He turned to his companion. "You're _wrong._ He is an entirely different organism."

"I imagine he views all other organisms as food," the Chimera Ant Octopus stated. "Besides the Royal Guard, that is."

"Should we even hang around? Our colony is practically ruined. The Queen is on the verge of death," Cheetu added. "We can't save her, so we've literally lost our reason to stay."

"You _fool._ We're still at a loss either way," Hagya said, appearing before them.

"The Queen can no longer reproduce. This colony is finished," Zazan explained with a smile, appearing beside Leol.

"That _is_ true," Cheetu had to agree. He put his index finger to his chin to think. "If you think about it, _nothing's_ really keeping us here." He began to frown.

 _"That's_ the way. Listen up, you idiots. Have you fully understood the situation?" Hagya asked. He crossed his arms and grinned at them. "This kingdom is done for. We're free to do as we please."

"Are you _mad?!"_ Bihorn exclaimed, taking a step towards Hagya. "That is _treason_ towards the Queen! How _dare_ you say that...She's still _alive,_ isn't she?!?"

"For now she is...But she won't last for much longer. This is simply _nature._ The Queen is dying. Face it. If you can't, I won't stop you from committing suicide."

"You _son_ of a _bitch!"_ Bihorn yelled.

"It's called "freedom of speech", bub. Get used to it."

"Hagya and I decided to go out and become kings of our own. You all can play the game, too. There are no rules. You just keep going until you fall over dead," Zazan smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "I know he's a total _ass,_ but Hagya's right. I'll miss Mother, but she's already long gone." Hagya growled at her, keeping his composure.

"But still, you're talking about _abandoning_ the Queen," the Chimera Ant Octopus argued.

"Come on. I'm sure we're not the _only_ ones who'd like to leave this dump," Hagya retorted, looking backwards with a grin.

From around the corner, Pike emerged, crawling on all eight of his legs. He blushed at Zazan. She glared daggers at him, causing him to shrink back in fear. Welfin walked out behind him, taking a casual stance. On the other side of the room, Hirin, Rammot, and Flutter entered, in that order. 

"Welfin, you too?" the Chimera Ant Octopus asked.

"See? Our thought process is common. Any of you who feel the same, join us," Leol raised a fist into the year.

Bloster, Cheetu, Meleoron, and Alligator changed sides. They left the semi-circle surrounding Turtle's corpse and joined the other disloyal ants. Leol and Zazan laughed as their side of the argument outnumbered the remaining side. Of the Squadron Leaders currently present in the Chimera Ant Nest, only Bihorn, Small Bear, and the Chimera Ant Octopus were loyal enough to stick with the Queen until the very end.

"Sorry, chumps, but I've got plans. Later, _potaters!"_ Cheetu taunted, sticking his tongue at them.

"This is goodbye. It was fun while it lasted. I'm off to spread my beauty across the land," Zazan closed her eyes, crossing her arms. Pike tried to praise her again, but she noticing his presence and was tempted to kick him.

"See ya," Hagya grinned, turning away. "No hard feelings, right?" 

The remaining three Squadron Leaders glared at him. Hagya merely shrugged and chuckled as he walked away, along with all the traitors. 

* * *

Colt arrived after all the disloyal ants left. He arrived to the castle to find it an empty shell of the once-successful Chimera Ant colony. Hardly any inhabitants remained inside the castle. He entered it along with Morel, Knov, Knuckle, and Shoot. Colt led them to the back room, where the Chimera Ant Queen laid. The medical professionals Netero had contacted were to arrive shortly. Upon arriving, he was greeted by Bihorn and Small Bear.

"Colt, you're back with _humans?_ Is this the kind of help you meant?" Bihorn asked him, giving a weird glance to the four Hunters.

"Yes. I had to surrender our nest. They are willing to help the Queen," Colt assured him.

"Are you sure about this? This place is in no condition to be invaded," Bihorn stated, raring himself for a fight.

"He's right. Are you sure we can trust these humans?" Small Bear asked.

Morel stepped forward. He put his thumb to his chest and grinned. "My name is Morel Mackernasey. I am a Single-Star Hunter. I am also a man of my word. If I say I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it. You can trust me, so let's shake on," Morel proudly stated. He reached forward and offered his hand out to the two Chimera Ants. They looked at each other, then at Colt. The latter nodded. Small Bear grasped Model's hand and shook. He released it, then Bihorn stepped up to shake Model's hand. He shook with enough force to make Model's white hair take air with each shake. Morel laughed. "You've got a strong grip. I really dig it." He then released the Chimera Ant's hand.

"We are his colleagues. We assure you we can be trusted," Knov said, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah! None of us are _ever_ gonna go back on our word!" Knuckle yelled. 

"Yes," Shoot said, nodding.

The Chimera Ant specialists arrived. Within minutes, the Queens dying body was moved onto a thin, green sheet on the floor. The King's mess had been removed so the operators would have full access to the Queen's organs. Morel, Knov, Knuckle, and Shoot stood several feet away, watching as the operators began to perform the surgery. The Queen was hooked up to various machines to elongate her life so she could be saved in time. Colt stood right over her, watching in disappointment. He was useless once again.

Bihorn and Small Bear stood side by side, watching with anticipation. In the corner of the room, Koala stood, sipping from his gourd. He was the only non-Squadron Leader to remain in the castle. He was a loner, and he happily accepted the fact, as he had been miserable in both of his lives.

The Chimera Ant Octopus was the only ant to actually take part in the operation. He worked alongside the specialists, providing extra details unknown to them about the Queen. The Queen was now fully in control of her thoughts. The pain from before had dulled down significantly.

 _These humans...Why are the helping me? I no longer understand how these creatures function. I feast on dozens upon dozens of their species, then they come here to help me? What is this? Why?_ the Queen thought to herself.  _They're wasting their time...No one knows my body more than I do. I'm on the very edge of death itself._

"Is anyone there? Can anyone here me?" the Queen called out telepathically.

"Your Majesty! Yes! I'm here! What do you need to say?" Colt answered telepathically.

"It's telepathy. The Queen cannot speak like we do," the Chimera Ant Octopus said to an operator.

"Can she tell us how to save her life?" the operator asked, curiosity brimming. 

"We hope," the Chimera Ant Octopus responded.

"Is my son alright?" the Queen asked telepathically.

"Your _son?"_ Colt responded, surprised.

"Yes. He was born too early, so I thought he might have birth defects. Is that the case?" the Queen asked.

"No. Your son is perfectly healthy. In fact, he has taken the Royal Guard on a mission to find the supplies necessary to save you," Colt lied, attempting to ease his Queen. The Chimera Ant Octopus shook his head, sighing as he closed his eyes. Bihorn and Small Bear frowned and folded their arms. Koala's face remained calm, eyeing the four former Squadron Leaders in this dire situation. Morel and Knov informed Knuckle and Shoot on the whole situation regarding the King and the Queen.

The Queen laughed telepathically. The individual chuckles were short and weak. Colt feared the Queen would pass before he even had the chance to say "goodbye". "No, that won't be necessary. Send him away. He does not need to waste his time worrying about me. I have already accomplished my sole goal. I am ready to die," the Queen responded. 

Colt's frown tightened. His eyes widened in fear and disappointment. "Your Majesty, we still need you! Everyone else left, but there are still five of us who await your command! Please, do not leave us!" Colt begged, tears close to forming again.

"I'm afraid I cannot. It's still bright in the world outside, but my world is getting dark. I'm afraid I'm fading...," the Queen said, beginning to let go. Colt leaned forward, anticipating a miracle to happen. His luck was not that good. "However, I have managed to think of a name for the King. It is "Meruem". It means "the light that illuminates all". Deliver my message to him, if you can...Goodbye." A constant  _BEEP!_ was heard as the Queen slipped away.

"I am a failure! That's the _second_ time...I can't do _anything_ right," Colt said out loud, clenching his fists tightly.

The operators looked at him in confusion. "He's likely referring to an event from his previous life. We ants are likely to recall former events as we progress further in our lives. Naturally, some remember more than others. It seems Colt faced a similar situation in his previous life, something to do with failing to protect someone."

"Game over...," Morel mumbled to himself. He held his tanned head.

Everyone present prepared to depart from the room. Colt then thought he saw something move beneath the Queen's nonfunctional organs. His eyes glimmered with hope and curiosity as he reached forward.  _What is this? I must remove it,_ Colt thought to himself. He reached into the Queen and removed a newborn Chimera Ant. It was the second official child of the Queen, it was the twin sister of the Queen, and it was also the reincarnation of Kite. The baby could've fit on Colt's smallest finger. A small tail hung from the baby's lower backside. Colt held the baby upwards, a warm feeling rising in the left side of his chest. He began to cry.  _This child, I will take care of it._

Morel stepped forward. He grabbed his large pipe. He twirled it in the air and pointed it at Colt. "Colt. If you are truly willing to adapt to human society and raise that child, I will gladly allow you. I will have you and this child classified as Magical Beasts, meaning no one will be allowed to hunt you down. As long as I'm around, no will will ever lay a _finger_ on you," the Hunter said proudly, putting his free hand over his heart. He sniffed, trying not to show his tears.

Knuckle started crying. He didn't care about showing tears in this situation. "So that's where I get it from." Shoot smiled lightly, putting a pale hand on his companion's shoulder. 

* * *

The King let go of Pouf's legs suddenly. He quickly began to fall down to a field. He crashed onto the ground, sending a large cloud of dirt and dust into the air. A married couple and their child were outside, farming. The King drew closer to the couple as the child watched from a distance. Pitou, Pouf, and Youpi landed behind the King in that order, looking on with pleasure. The couple hugged each other as the King approached. Once the King was within two feet of them, he sent his tail out, brutally destroying their heads in a flash. The King crouched down to the dead bodies on the ground. He bloodied his hands as he picked and took a bite. He spat out the meat in an instant.

"Disgusting. This is all wrong. They put up no fight. Why?" the King's demeanour was calm and focused.

"I have some advice, my King. The brain is the most delicious part of a human. I would recommend dispatching your prey without harming the head," Pitou bowed, pleased with the King's brutal nature. Pouf and Youpi smiled as the King turned his attention to the child, who began to cry.

The King's tail pieced through the child's stomach, instantly killing the juvenile. As blood slowly flowed from the body, the child's corpse fell to the ground. "Like this?"

"Magnificent, my King," Pitou clapped, now standing up.

The King stepped towards the body of the now-deceased child. He crouched down and proceeded to pick at the child's brain. His fingers became even redder. He chewed. "I see...this is not so bad...," he then spit on the ground. "However, this is still inedible when compared to the rare humans." The King then stood up, unimpressed with this meal.

Pitou bowed once again. She looked over at the King. "Might I offer more advice? There actually is a way to identify rare humans. If you use-." Pitou was then slapped by the King's tail. Her head was sent facing to the left, her lips now at an open smile. Her eyes were visibly surprised.

Pouf merely closed his eyes and listened.  _Perhaps now you'll learn to think before you speak._ Youpi was gorging himself off the remains of the dead family. He had his back turned to them, but he slightly shuddered when he heard the King slap Pitou.

"Do you insult me?" the King demanded, slightly miffed. "I am aware that I can gauge my opponent's strength by focusing my aura into my eyes. The amount of aura reveals their strength. I am no longer truly hungry. I have already alleviated my hunger. I merely enjoy the moments before eating, when I end my opponent's life with no mercy."

Pitou returned to her senses. "Please forgive my insolence, my King."

"Coincidentally, Pitou, you are quite strong. I was trying to kill you. You have earned my respect," the King stated.

"I am unworthy of such praise," Pitou smiled, bowing. The King then bore a nasty smile.

"My King, allow us to take you to a certain palace. It isn't too far away. The three of us prepared to invade this palace some time before your arrival, but we decided to move it back on the agenda. If you come with us, you will become the leader of an entire nation, with millions upon millions of subordinates," Pouf suggested.

"Very well," the King responded, pleased.

Youpi walked over to the King and formed his wings again. His flying had improved, though it was somewhat bulky and jagged compared to Pouf's graceful style of flight. The King wrapped hid tail around one of Youpi's legs. The latter took off, taking the King into the air with him.

Pouf flies a few feet off the ground, looking down at Pitou. Her face had a tiny trail of Chimera Ant blood leaking from the right corner of her mouth. Pouf smirked at her. He decided to taunt her. "Have we learned our lesson?" Pitou remarked with a smile. Pitou hissed at him, baring her sharp claws. She leapt into the air and grabbed both of his legs with one abnormally large hand. Pouf flew away, catching up with Youpi and the King. They began to make their way towards the Royal Palace of East Gorteau.

They few across several nations in a few days, before finally making it to Republic of East Gorteau. The King was unamused with the scenery of his flight. The four powerful ants passed over various forests, lakes, valleys, mountains, and plateaus on their elevated journey towards their destination. If anything, the way Youpi flew got on his nerves. The King wished he had flown with Pouf instead. He listened as Pitou did her best to annoy Pouf. The younger Royal Guard wanted to drop her so badly, but that would've inconvenienced the King.

Upon reaching the palace, Pouf and Youpi descended low to the ground. The King let go of Youpi's leg and began to march in a straight line towards the front door. Pitou released Pouf's legs and landed on her feet, as a cat would. Pouf and Youpi inactivated their wings as they walked behind the King and Pitou. 

Pitou and Pouf dashed ahead of the King. They each grabbed a door, pushing them open as the King approached them. The King walled inside to find a room with several large columns from the ceiling to the floor. He and his three Royal Guards walked further into the room. Armed soldiers wearing red peeked out from around the columns. Another man stepped out into the center of the room. He wore a red beret and had squinty eyes. He donned a white t-shirt that showed off his muscular body.

"I don't know which nation sent you, but I don't care. You'll now have to die painful deaths," the man said, popping his wrist.

"Your Majesty...," Pitou purred, an excited look forming on her cat-like face.

"I know. The strength is pulsating out of him. _This_ is a rare human," the King grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "An appetizing treat for a being such as myself."

The King killed all the men before they could respond. The muscular man fell to the ground last, his dead body leaving a  _thump!_ ringing throughout the room. The King stepped up to the man's opened head. He peered down at his brain. He crouched down and he began to eat. His redeemed fingers twitched at the exquisite taste. The King grinned, the eagerness apparent on his face. "Yes! Yes! This is it! This is that flavor! It's magnificent!" the King cried clenching his fists. As he began to laugh, a surge of energy began to flow throughout his body. "I feel It! The power is coming to me!" Purple aura surged from the King. It then intensified.

The Royal Guards watched him in amusement. Pitou's eyes lightened as the cat-like Chimera Ant witnessed the King's power boost. Her smile widened. _"Nyow_ I understand...the King's ability lets him take aura from those he eats and add it to his own!"

"What an interesting ability," Pouf admonished. He then turned to his older companion. "That makes him a Specialist, correct?"

"Yep. He's a Specialist, like me." Pitou's tail swished as the King continued to feast on the fallen Nen user.

"You'd best not insult him _now,_ or you could _really_ get messed up," Pouf teased, giving her a look. Pitou scratched at him, hissing viciously. Pouf just laughed at Pitou, amused with her mannerisms. He then turned to Youpi. The red giant was leaning against one of the pillars, yawning. "Hey, Youpi! The King will not bother himself with those worthless humans. If you would like, I'll just leave them in your hands. I'll let _you_ decide what becomes of them."

"Sounds good," Youpi responded.

"I cannot possibly enjoy my meal with your constant babbling! Be silent!" the King ordered.

"Yes, your Majesty!" the three of them said simultaneously, shutting their mouths in obedience.

The King then made his way towards the palace's central staircase. He began to ascend the staircase, his three loyal subordinates following close behind him. He walked slowly, as if he was in charge. He then reached the top of the staircase. He saw a bright light emanating from a room at the far end of this dark hallway. The King proceeded to advance towards this light, curious as to what laid there. He believed he heard the shuffling of feet coming from the room. His hearing was quite sharp, but it was not superior to Pitou's. He looked back at her. She nodded.

Once they reached the room, they boldly entered. Inside, a rather pudgy man sat at a table. A mountain of food sat in front of him. A rather large handkerchief hung from the man's neck. The man's squinty eyes narrowed even further as he glared at the four intruders. He instantly decided to take action.

"What the-?! What is _this?_ Who are you punks supposed to be?" the man aggressively demanded, beating his fist on the table. Sweat dripped from his chin as he continued to spew nonsense. "Do you know what this place is? This is the Royal Palace of East Gorteau! It belongs to me, not you! I am Masador Diego, a king among kings! _Ughhh,_ why am I surrounded by _incompetents!_ Guards! **Guards!** Do your stinking jobs!" He then rose to his feet, a feat the King would have thought impossible.

"I feel nothing. What is this?" the King asked, his curiosity peaking. "Why does this scum claim to be the king?"

"My King, this phenomenon is quite common in the human world. People who lack talent and intelligence end up in positions of power due to blood and money connections," Pouf answered, raising a hand to cup his chin.

"That makes _no_ sense. It's just _wrong,"_ the King stated, gritting his teeth. "Imbeciles like this one will only cause destruction it they are given power. Actions like this are _illogical."_

"Hey! Are you punks listening to me? You better leave at once, or I shall use my godly power to deal divine punishment! Leave my palace at-!" Masador Diego's fat head was split cleanly in half. His portly body crashed to the floor. Blood flowed around it, staining the already-red carpet. Fear settled into the mind of the feet-shufflers, an entourage of female dancers. They were all young girls. They whimpered as the King shook the small traces of blood off his tail.

"My King, allow me to make use of this," Pitou said, pointing to the plump body on the ground. "I can use it to control other humans." 

"Very well," the King said.

All the dancers huddled together against, whimpering. Youpi stood above them. He held two girls up, one in each hand. He stared at them for a few seconds, then tossed them to the ground. They gasped and shook in fear as the King focused his attention on them. Pitou dragged Masador Diego's body to a dark corner, purposely staining the already-red carpet with a heavy trail of blood. Pitou liked to toy with people, like a cat did. The tension in the air reached a new limit.

 _Pitou, you sadist...,_ Pouf thought. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. He still donned a frown. It did not change as his companion dragged the bloody mass across the floor, filling the dancers' minds with horrible energy.

"We beg you! Spare us!" a blonde begged, rivers of tears flowing down her face.

"Please! We'll do anything you want!" a brown-haired girl cried, hugging another girl for comfort.

The King glanced towards them. "Pathetic! This is absolutely hilarious! These humans are idiots!" he laughed haughtily. He pointed to his head. "Allow me to feed your weak brains one last meal before you die. Have you ever spared a _pig_ or _cow_ as _it_ begged for its life?" 

The girls shuddered. The King turned towards Youpi. The red giant stood at attention, ready to receive his orders. "Youpi! Take care of these humans for me. I'm done killing for the day. Those girls are all yours," the King ordered. He then turned to Pitou and Pouf. "You two, come over here!"

"Yes, your Majesty," the three of them said simultaneously.

Youpi looked down at the girls. His hulking figure frightened them all. He grew a demonic grin as he sprouted more arms from his back, until he had six arms, one for each girl. "It's nothing personal. Business is business," Youpi said. He reached forward with his six arms and crushed all their heads at the same time. He lifted all the motionless bodies and began to carry them away.

Pitou emerged from the dark corner, where Masador Diego's body laid. She followed Pouf over to the King's current location. He stood on a nifty balcony. Below it was a massive courtyard. The King looked out at his new home, satisfied with his own power. Pitou stepped forward and stopped a few inches behind him. Pouf stood on the King's other side.

"That "Selection" you mentioned will take place here," the King said, looking out onto the courtyard. "I hereby dub this place the "Meat Plantation"." 

"An excellent idea, your Majesty," Pitou said, clapping her hands.

"The three of you are in charge of the Selection, so do what you need to do. We will remain here until the Selection. After that, I will determine our next move," the King said.

"Yes. The Selection is to take place in ten days," Pouf said.

"Ten days? That is a long time to wait," the King said, turning to face the two of them. "I doubt I will be able to keep myself entertained as of now. I would need something to do."

"If you'd like, we can move it up. It wouldn't take much effort," Pitou said

Pouf twitched slightly at the statement. The King retracted his previous statement. "I'll just keep myself entertained until then. As long as I'm occupied, I won't have the need to rush the Selection. For the next ten days, this palace is my castle. You are free to do as you like unless I say otherwise. Do anything I do not approve, and there will be violent consequences," the King stated. He then walked back inside, leaving Pitou and Pouf alone on the balcony.

Pouf grabbed Pitou by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "What were you _thinking?_  We can't move the Selection up. We've had this thing carefully scheduled for days. The perfect time period for the Selection is ten days. Any time under ten days would _ruin_ the operation."

"Relax, Pouf. I was trying to be helpful. I know we can't _shorten_ the Selection, but we can _postpone_ it, _right?"_

"We can, but I don't plan to live here for the rest of my life."

"You will if the King _commands_ it."

"Yes, I would. Now then, _listen._ I need you to cooperate with me on this. _Youpi_ too. I have no intention of disappointing our King!" Pouf said.

"You think  _I_  do? You're delusional, Pouf."

Pouf released her. He folded his arms and no longer focused on Pitou. He was deep in thought. Pitou watched Pouf, expecting him to say something else. She gazed at him with annoyed eyes. She walked up to him and waved her hand in front of his face. Pouf's focus returned. "What is it?" he asked, irritated.

"I'll help you as long as it makes the King happy, but I will also try to help you, since we're friends. Thinking again, we're basically _best_ friends. Let's support each other." Pitou put her arm around Pouf, hugging him. The act of being hugged was one Pouf was still adapting to. He had learned to just accept Pitou's hugs. Youpi didn't like to hug. He thought it was weird. "Do you trust me, _brother?"_

Pouf gave in. He returned the hug. "Yes, I trust you." The mood was soft and caring. Pouf then released the embrace. "Well then, I'm off the see the King. You should get back to using  _En_."

"Probably." Pitou then used  _En_ , shrouding the entire palace in red aura.

* * *

Leol was losing stamina, and fast. His breaths were hot and heavy. He and his henchmen just had a scuffle with some Hunters. They escaped, but they were still being tracked down. Losing the will to stand, Leol fell to his knees, sweat dripping from his face. Flutter then fell next to Leol, panting heavily. Hirin collapsed, falling against Leol, shading herself from the Sun. 

Hirin kept her eyes closed for several seconds before reopening them. She saw something she liked. Her eyes glimmered. "Look!" she pointed. Leol looked, and gasped. Flutter followed suit. His eyes widened. The Royal Palace of East Gorteau laid right before them.

* * *

"Very well, then. In exchange for your service, you will be rewarded with powers. Do not disturb the King, and all should be fine," Pouf said. He was facing away from the three ants. His stoic expression had returned. "Carry on. We will call you if you're needed." With that, the butterfly man headed up the stairs.

 _Fool. I've got' em right where I want' em. This is good. Very good,_ Leol thought, grinning deviously.

 

 

 


	2. Fun x With x Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King and the Royal Guards settle into their new home. The King occupies his time by challenging the reigning champions of several games. Two more former Squadron Leaders find their way to the Palace of East Gorteau. Leol proves that he cannot be tamed.

Pouf found the King on the third floor of the palace's central tower. The King stood in the center of the room, admiring his surroundings. It was a big step up from the Chimera Ant Nest. The room was completely stunning. Pouf stopped gazing around the room. He began to make his way towards the King. He stopped behind him and bowed.

"Your Majesty, I wish to keep you entertained until the Selection. Do you have any idea of what you wish to do?" Pouf asked his liege, speaking solely out of respect. His amber eyes looked down at the red carpet.

The King turned around. The newborn's purple eyes gazed downward at the middle child of his Royal Guard. He put a green finger to his face, deep in thought. Unable to find a clear solution, he instead asked Pouf a question. "You said _entertainment,_ yes? What activities pass as entertainment?" he asked. His look was one of curiosity.

Pouf's glance wavered as he tried to think of an activity that would perfectly suit his liege. "Well, your Highness, the human race has been able to create billions upon billions of fun activities. The list is quite long," Pouf responded, still kneeling. He brought his up to face the King. "There are lots of physical activities that would probably be entertaining, but there's no point of having you compete. You could read, or perhaps you could learn to play an instrument. I have a violin of my own. Would you like to try it?" Pouf's face gleamed with eagerness. His love for the King was overwhelming.

"I'll refrain from that. I don't believe instruments are for me, nor can I imagine myself reading purely for entertainment. I haven't had the chance to truly find myself yet. There is still much I need to learn about this world," the King responded.

"You are the _King!_ Everything else will fall into place once the Selection arrives," Pouf said.

"You said I am the King, correct?" the King asked, his tone hardening. Pouf nodded in respect. "My heart tells me that a king does not share his castle with any others." He was referring to the recent arrival of Leol, Hina, and Flutter.

"My King, those three have come here to pledge allegiance to you. That Leol thought he could become a King, but he failed. Now, he has learned from his mistakes and he has come to you to serve the _true_ king, who is you," Pouf said. "I believe the majority of the Squadron Leaders will attempt to be their own rulers, taking their soldiers with them. I say _"majority",_  My King, because the insertion of humans into the Chimera Ant bloodline has lead to some unpredictable events. But in the end, you will still have more soldiers. Pitou, Youpi, and me told the Squadron Leaders they could offer loyalty in exchange for power. They will serve you either way, my King, since you are the ultimate life form."

"You're right about _that,_ but you're talking about "then". I would rather discuss what I want to to right now. Standing around talking like this is not entertaining, nor is it  _fun_. Find something for me to do. Until you do, I'll be on my throne," the King commanded. He then walked away to find the palace's throne. His green tail swished from left to right as he casually paraded out of the room. His quiet footsteps left Pouf quivering in excitement at the power of his ruler.

"Yes, sir! Right away!" Pouf blurted, energized. 

He jumped to his feet, watching silently as the King receded from the room. The King treaded down the staircase. Once the King's footsteps could no longer be heard, an exotic rush of grace flew through Pouf's lanky body. Tears streamed from his eyes as he imagined the King ruling over the world with an iron fist. He saw himself, Pitou, and Youpi watching as the King did as he pleased, killing all those who protested. He saw an evil grin on Pitou's face, a proud smile present on Youpi's face, and an expression of pure devotion and pleasure on his own face.

 _Mere moments ago, this palace was under the leadership of that pathetic, embarrassing creature. Just_ **moments** _ago! The King is incredible! He took over without me having to suggest it! This power of the King...it is magnificent! Simply marvelous!!! I was excited about the King's birth, but I didn't expect the occasion to be so **joyous!** If a few useless soldiers had to die to showcase his, so be it! He ended their lives without a second thought. And above all, he had no real reason to! It all just demonstrates how powerful he is! I am so happy! _ Pouf thought, vigorously. He danced around as his thoughts shrouded his brain. His left leg lifted high above his head as he struck several poses while making very awkward noises. 

Pouf then left the room. He walked back down to the first floor of the palace. He found a map of the entire structure, complete with the above two floors. The blond found a room marked "Library" and began to make his way there. His footsteps were light and elegant, as there was nothing to spoil his mood. Everything was progressing perfectly. He made his way to the end of the hallway, then exited the building.

He passed through the courtyard at a swift pace. He walked gingerly over the well-trimmed grass as he ventured towards the building that contained the library. His blonde hair and his black cape billowed in the wind as marched triumphantly over the vast green landscape beneath him. Pouf soon came to the section of the palace that contained the library. He re-entered the building, then finally came across the library's doors. The large, wooden doors open simultaneously, as Pouf pushed them open with his superhuman strength. Shelves were stacked to a height that rivaled that of Youpi. A myriad of books, novels, magazines, and entire collections of other things took up residence in this room. Every color of the rainbow was present, each in plentiful amounts.

Pouf skimmed down an aisle, then came to the very back of the room. Various cabinets laid low to the ground. Curious, the Royal Guard opened a cabinet. A large collection of thick, heavy books rested inside. They were dusty. Pouf brought all of the books out of the cabinet, then placed them all on the carpeted floor. He blew at them, sending dust flying back at him. Pouf coughed roughly. These were all rulebooks to several boardgames. Grinning happily, he carried all the books in his hands as he flew out of the room.

"Your Majesty!!" Pouf screamed as he breezed through the hallway.

* * *

Youpi clumped up to Pitou. He had his usual expression, a plain, proud smile. His razor-sharp teeth glinted as he came closer so he could chat with his fellow Royal Guard. He stopped before her, his large, red, muscular arms hanging down. He towered over Pitou.

"Did you have fun?" Pitou asked, grinning at the blood-covered Youpi.

 _"Fun?_ What's _wrong_ with you?" Youpi grunted, scratching his head. His smile instantly disappeared. "Unlike _you,_ I don't enjoy killing. I just follow my orders to protect the King. You should too." He flicked the cat girl on the forehead, his proficiency in the Enhancement category of _Nen_  pushing her back a few centimeters. Pitou rubbed the spot where she had been flicked, then smiled. 

"I _do_ follow my orders. I just try to have a little fun," Pitou responded, popping her fingers. Her tail wagged briskly.

"Exactly how is killing _fun,_ Pitou?" Youpi inquired.

Pitou crawled up Youpi's arm to sit on his right shoulder. She grabbed his head and looks him in the eyes. "Whenever I think about fighting,  I just get this _rush._ Maybe it's because I'm cat-based, but I really love to play. Being the Chimera Ant that I am, that playful nature is probably turned into killing." Her smile never fades. She then crouched behind Youpi's neck to play with his weird ears. "You see, Youpi? It's not about killing. It's about not being bored."

"Well, you shouldn't try to play with anyone who tries to kill the King. You should kill them without a second thought. You do know this, right?" Youpi asked.

"I _know,_ Youpi...the King's safety comes first. I was just messing with you," she responded.

"Sure you were...," Youpi muttered, his green eyes glancing down to the ground. He refocused his attention on his companion. "Anyway, about the thing you said about being a cat, do you have any other memories of either one of your past lives? I can't remember anything before my birth."

"Anything that happened before this life doesn't matter. Despite what may have happened, both of us still ended up being eaten by the Queen," Neferpitou responded, giving Youpi a smile despite the rather morbid conversation.

"You think?" Youpi asked. He rubbed the left side of his face. "You're right. The King is the _only_ thing that matters. Everything else is irrelevant." His gaze was proud and determined. He grinned down at his older comrade. 

"Really?" she asked, somewhat astonished. "Hanging out with you and Pouf is actually kind of enjoyable. You two are the only people I can call my friends, which also makes you my best  I would say I'd prefer for you two to continue to live, along with the King. That makes you two my best friends. Or my playmates. Whichever you prefer."

"What's a _friend?_ I apologize, but I'm lost...," Youpi responded, dumbfounded. "Isn't that a human thing?"

"Don't worry about it, Youpi," Pitou replied, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Just know that you're my friend."

"Really?" Youpi asked, his eyes widening.

"Yep. Honestly, I probably would've been bored to death if it wasn't for you and Pouf. There was no one to play with and all the other ants were far too weak. They were afraid of me. It felt kind of nice at first...," Pitou responded. She jumped back down to the floor, landing gracefully.

 _I wonder why,_ Youpi thought, smirking.

"But then I realized I was getting tired of it. Being alone isn't fun," she stated.

"I don't really know how to deal with this type of thing. It is far beyond my capacity."

"There's no _problem,_ Youpi. I'm just saying I'm happy to have met you! _And_ Pouf," Pitou shrieked.

"Are you saying you were showing our friendship by messing with me?" Youpi asked.

"Perhaps. Like I said, being near interesting people has been fun."

"Whatever you say. Anyway, those humans are all gone, so I have nothing to do. I'm gonna go take a nap. If the King needs me, come get me. Catch you later," Youpi said, yawning. He then clumped away, leaving the oldest Royal Guard to watch him with a slight envy in her smile.

"Later."

 _Lucky,_ Pitou groaned mentally, walking away.

She walked back to the room from before, where Masador Diego's body laid, in a dark corner. She walked up to it and gazed down at it with a sinister grin. Her sharp teeth showed.  _My ability to control corpses will aid the King. This Selection was a good idea,_ she thought, placing her clawed hands on her rather curvy hips.  _But first, I gotta repair his body, or this country's citizens are gonna run away. I'd love to just catch them all, but that would just inconvenience the King._  Her red eyes glimmered as she activated her ability.

 _"Doctor Blythe,"_ Pitou said.

Pitou's tail extended into the air. A large, puppet-like creature appeared. It gazed downward at Pitou with dull eyes. Pitou gave it a command, and the puppet's stomach opened, sending several thin arms downward, each carrying a surgical instrument. The arms stopped above the corpse of Masador Diego. The puppet began to repair Diego's face, stitching up the wound the King had caused. Pitou crouched by the body, watching with curiosity as the dead leader's head began to return to its previous state.

 _Unlike with that white-haired man, I can't play with this puppet...that's so disappointing,_ Pitou thought.

* * *

Pouf knelt before the King, who seemed very comfortable on his new, shiny throne. The King crossed his green and purple arms as he gazed downward at the butterfly man. The King saw the rulebooks that laid beneath Pouf's right hand.

"Pouf, what have you brought me?" he asked.

"My King, I bring you several rulebooks for some boardgames," Pouf answered, gesturing to the large collection of pages to his right. "I figured you would enjoy competition on an intellectual level. The human race could not possibly muster an individual that could challenge you to a physical competition, so I believe you would enjoy besting some of these champions."

 _"Champions?"_ the King replied.

"Yes. Each of the games I offer to you has its own champion. Before you enslave their entire race, perhaps you would like to surpass these records beforehand?" Pouf suggested, standing to his feet. He put his hand over his chest. 

"Will this keep me entertained? This throne is not enough to contain my boredom."

"Yes, Your Majesty. It will," the second Royal Guard responded. "I will explain this to Youpi. I will order him to go out and collect these champions so that you may best them. Does that sound satisfying?" 

"I suppose. This will commence tomorrow, however. I must prepare myself for tomorrow's flood."

 _"Flood,_ sire?" 

"Yes. I doubt I would be able to put with all the sniveling and whimpering if these so-called champions were to come today. The ones of them that annoy me the least are the ones that leave in the best condition. For those that infuriate me, there will be a punishment far worse than death. I will be heading to my bedroom. Do not disturb me. Tell the others. If anyone does, I won't have to hunt down my next meal." The King's face was intense. "Do you understand, Pouf?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Pouf shouted, dropping to his knees.

The King stood up from his throne. He walked past his loyal servant, then he stopped again. "As a said before, you, Pitou, and Youpi are free to do whatever you like, as long as I am not disturbed. I do not want to even _sense_ your presences, so no one will use  _En_ around me. I will do my best to ignore your sounds. If you are too loud, I will come to you. Tell that Leol and his goons they're not allowed on or above the second floor." The King then walked off.

"Will do, Your Majesty!"

* * *

It was now nighttime. Pouf decided to hold a meeting for the Royal Guards. He held it in the room that was to be the King's new game room. He had set a small, wooden table along the center of the room. Two chairs were placed at opposite ends of this table. Another chair had been placed several feet away from the others. This one was for Pouf, as the Royal Guard was to advise the King as he participated in the games the following day.

Pouf stood in the center of the room. His eyes narrowed as he checked a clock that rested on the wall. It read 8:13. He scowled at that mechanism. He had scheduled the meeting for 8:15, and the other two Royal Guards had yet to show themselves. After departing from the King, Pouf had spent the entire day reading. As for Pitou and Youpi, Pouf had no idea what the other two were occupying themselves with, and he did not care enough to find out.

His fingers straightened as he heard the giant Youpi lumbering towards him. The red beast picked up the pace and proceeded to walk up to his older sibling. He placed his knuckles on his hips as he looked down at Pouf.

"Took you long enough," Pouf sneered.

"Sorry, Pouf. I was taking a nap," Youpi explained, using his hands to try to make himself look more innocent. "You know I lose all my senses when that happens. Nevermind that. What's this meeting about?"

"I'll tell you in a second," Pouf replied, his scornful expression gone. He now looked slightly annoyed. "I would love to get down to business now, but we that still have to wait for the cat to arrive. I haven't seen Pitou in hours. I've no clues of where she could be."

"Pitou and me were chatting earlier, then I left to take my nap. You know she's not asleep, since we can still feel her _En."_ The youngest Royal Guard said. He glanced around this new room, then saw the table and chairs set around the room. He interrupted Pouf, who was deep in thought. "Hey, Pouf! What are those for?"

"Discussing them will be part of the meeting."

"Damn you, Pitou! Where is she?" Youpi roared.

Pouf quickly flew up to Youpi's upper body and put a slender hand over Youpi's mouth. In sign language, he told Youpi to be silent. He pointed upwards, where the King's bedroom was. Youpi immediately understood. He nodded submissively as Pouf gracefully descended back down to the red carpet. His luminous butterfly wings turned back into his black cape.

Pitou strolled into the room with an unfathomable mouth. Her tail twitched behind her as she wore a bothered expression. With clawed fingers, she pointed at her cat ears. Pitou looked up at Youpi. "My _ears...Ouch._ "

"Serves you right, I say," Pouf smirked, folding his arms again. He glanced down at the shortest of the Royal Guards. "What took you so long? Youpi and me have been waiting here for nearly five minutes."

"If you must know, _jerk,_ _Doctor Blythe_ takes a lot of Nen to use. I'm basically rendered defenseless when I heal someone. I kept on my guard, in case that Leol tried to take me out while I was occupied. He was lurking around me, you know. In fact, he just around the corner. I couldn't use _En_ at the time, but I could still hear his shorts rustling."

"Would he really try to attack a Royal Guard?" Youpi asked.

"He is a _lion._ That is how they hunt. They slowly approach their target and strike when the prey least expects it," Pouf said.

"What do you think he could accomplish by getting rid of _me?"_ Pitou questioned, her evil aura shrouding her body once more.

"Well, that would leave his Majesty with one less Royal Guard. Hmmmmmm....," Pouf trailed off, looking off into the distance. "He should be carefully monitored. Such a scheming bastard should not be allowed near the King. I _forbid_ it."

"Why? If he's a potential threat to the King, we should just kill him now," Youpi stated, cracking his knuckles. He started to walk away. Pouf shook his head. Pitou jumped in front of Youpi, blocking the Enhancer's path. Youpi stared down at her, confused. He turned around to face Pouf.

"We mustn't be too hasty. He has still sworn _allegiance_ to us," Pouf explained, a thoughtful smile forming on his thistle purple face. "If we give him a direct command, and he disobeys, _then_ we kill him."

"Yes. The King shouldn't _sully_ his hands on someone like _him,"_ Pitou agreed, her smile reappearing. "Do you agree, Youpi?"

"I'll let him slide this one time. But we're just gonna kill 'em the next time, right?" Youpi asked.

"But of course," Pouf responded, his smile lightening the mood.

"In fact, we'll let _you_ do it." Pitou then glanced back at the door. A frightened Leol retreated from the scene. The former Squadron Leader dashed back down to the first floor of the palace.  _That's right. You better run. I'm the big cat,_ Pitou thought menacingly, her red eyes turning orange. Her fingers began to twitch, just itching to rip off some unfortunate soul's head.

"Calm yourself. He's not worth it," Pouf calmly said, trying to soothe Pitou. He walked over to her and rubbed her ears. That seemed to do the trick. The cat grin from before widened onto Pitou's face as the Chimera Ant giggled with pleasure. She then fell to the floor.

"Now rub my belly, Shaia," she giggled.

Pouf rolled his eyes as he stooped to his kness. He reached out with his left hand and proceeded to run the stomach of his older, cat-like companions. Pitou let out little laughs as her younger companion did as he was told. His face remained unchanged while Pitou gave tiny kicks outward. Youpi stood back, watching them with immense confusion.

 _What is this?_ Youpi wondered, his red arms hanging limply from his massive shoulders.

"Okay, this is getting too weird. Pitou's here now, so we can commence the meeting," Youpi said.

"Yes. Thank you," Pouf responded in shock. He rocketed up to his feet. "As we all know, the King wishes to find a past time suitable for him. The Selection is in ten days, and he does not wish to just sit around until then. As one of the Queens Royal Guards, I could not just sit there as my King was bored. Therefore, something had to be done."

"Get on with it."

"Hurry it up, weirdo," Pitou agreed, hopping to her feet.

 _"Weirdo?_   _You're_ the one who literally just had be rub both their entire belly! If anything, _you're_ the weird person in this situation, for forcing yourself in such an awkward situation," Pouf rebutted.

"But you agreed to it. The situation _itself_ was weird," Youpi stated.

"Whatever. I can't argue with both of you. I give up," Pouf retreated, glaring at them. "Very well. I shall make it short and simple. Just for your tiny, impatient minds. The King will be participating in various boardgames tomorrow. He will play against the reigning champion of each respective game. I will advise him, and _you_ are to retrieve the individuals." He turned to face Youpi.

"Okay. Prepare a list for me, and I'll be ready to go," Youpi said.

"Okay. Meeting adjourned."

"That's _it?_ Did I even need to be here?" Pitou asked, giving Shaiapouf an annoyed look. 

"Yes. All members of the Royal Guard need to be informed of the King's activities, do they not?" Pouf replied, closing he eyes as he smiled. "Besides, what _moronic_ task could you possibly be up to?"

"I found a ball of yarn in a storage room."

"That's not surprising. So, what would you guys like to do? The King is in his room. We have free reign over the palace as long as he is not disturbed," Pouf said to his companions. "We could play some of the boardgames. I'm sure the King wouldn't mind."

"Well, boardgames aren't for me," Youpi said.

"And I would rather not play a game like that with _you,"_ Pitou responded.

"Do you guys wanna armwrestle?" Youpi suggested with a grin.

"I'll refrain from participating in such _barbaric_ activities," Pouf said to his companions, with a frown. He walked away from them and over to the table and chairs. Next to them laid the rulebooks of the various boardgames. Pouf knelt down to the ground and picked up one of the books. It read "Go". Pouf then made his way over to the chair that sat on its own. He sat down, crossed his legs, and started to read. "I'll be in here if you need me. Try to not disturb the King."

Pitou glanced at him with a smirk. She then turned to Youpi. "Come on. We can armwrestle. That sounds a lot more than reading. I'll keep you entertained, Youpi. Even better, I need to stay active, in case an enemy enters my _En._ " Pitou then began to leave the room, her white cat tail swishing vigorously with each step. Youpi lumbered after her.

* * *

 _"Damn!_ How did they know?" Leol thought out loud, massive collections of sweat dripping from his face. "This is a problem...I'm never gonna be a king at this rate." He then punched the wall, sending a large echo throughout the room. His morbid necklace swayed in the wind caused by the punch's force.

"If you wanna be a king, why are we even here? A king can't serve another king," Hina said.

"I'm not _serving_ them. I'm just gaining their trust before I make my move," Leol said, glaring down at her in annoyance. He refocused his attention on the crack in the wall. He smiled.

Hina tugged at his sleeve, catching the lion's attention again. "And what move will that be? Are you gonna disappear, because the Royal Guard won't be too happy if they ever catch you badmouthing the King," Hina stated, her large, grown eyes slightly wavering at the gruesome image in her mind. "In fact, the King would probably eat you. That would be a pretty ironic end for you."

"Stop saying "the King". _I'm_  your king," Leol grunted. He plugged his ears, trying to tone out Hina's loud voice.

A large smile appeared on Hina's face. She jumped up and down like a child, her blonde hair shaking around wildly. _"Ooooo!_ You're just _jealous."_

"I am not. I don't have time to argue with you. I'm too busy plotting to deal with someone as childish as you," Leol retorted. He then turned around to look at Flutter, who had watched their entire conversation. "Flutter! Have you spotted anyone around the palace? I need to make sure no one is gonna interfere once I set my plan in motion."

"My  _Satellite Dragonflies_ have not spotted anyone in the immediate power. I can see from dozens of angles, so I know no one is around," Flutter responded, his large eyes looking into that of his superior. "This is a very useful power. We could've use this on those rare humans. Do you remember, Leol-sama? That white-haired man and those two kids?"

Leol sighed angrily. "Yeah, I remember those guys. I wanted to keep to keep them for myself, but I was outclassed. After that Rammot guy gave me _Nen,_ I thought about challenging them to an actual duel. But, it turned out Pitou-dono had gotten to him first. She even left those kids alive just to insult me!! I just needed to get to those little bastards before Rammot did, but I don't care anymore."

"Colt said Pitou-dono took off the man's head, right? And she _played_ with it?" Flutter asked, disturbed.

 _"Gross!_ That's just creepy...," Hina said out loud. Then her emotions flared up. "Why did she have to kill him? He was _gorgeous!"_ she whined, annoying Leol. He ignored her, turning his attention to his other Officer.

"Didn't she keep the body instead of giving it to the Queen?" Flutter asked, emotionlessly.

"Yeah. She even kept his body in that freezer Colt had the lower-ranking ants install."

"You wouldn't have been able to eat him anyway. Pitou-dono was constantly sitting near his body, watching him with some kind of entranced stare. Nobody would've been able to eat him. Then, she turned him into a training dummy for the regular soldier ants, right?"

"Yeah," Leol said. He then glanced over at Flutter. "It doesn't matter anyway. I had given up on eating that fool. The King of Beasts is not a _scavenger._ He only eats what he kills." He folded his broad arms as he showed off a toothy grin. The former Squadron Leader released a low chuckle that soon transformed into an actual laugh. Flutter laughed with him.

"Leol-sama?" 

"Yeah?" Leol asked, abruptly ending his laugh.

"I just call him "the King" since he doesn't have a true name. You may be the King of Beasts, but he is _the_ King," Hina explained. "So then, what's your plan? How are you gonna take over?" 

"Shut up, you fool! We cats have sharp ears," Leol shushed her. He then pointed upstairs. She gave him an annoyed little huff. _"Patience,_ my underling. All will face into place soon. For now, you just sit there and look pretty."

"Can't I _stand up_ and look pretty?" 

Leol was about to smack her when Flutter jumped to his feet. "Leol-sama! Hina! My _Satellite Dragonflies_ have spotted two figures approaching the palace!"

"How far away are they?"

"They're still very far away! They're  _just_ outside the furthest tendrils of Neferpitou-dono's _En,_ meaning she hasn't been able to detect them yet."

 _Good...Pitou, I hope you're watching this. You're about to see how this lion takes care of business. All I have to do is capture the intruders and bring them to the Royal Guards. They'll be eternally grateful to me for getting rid of these intruders. I'll do their job for them. Oh, Leol...you're far too nice,_ Leol thought, chucking evilly.

"Intruders? I won't have to actually fight, will I? I don't wanna ruin my face," Hina whined.

"If you won't fight, I'll just use you as a _shield._ How does _that_ sound?" Leol laughed, looking down at his female Officer. She frowned at him. "I'm only kidding. Either way, the chance of them being normal humans is pretty low. Humans aren't the smartest creatures, but they have enough sense to know not to walk into a palace such as this. For the rare humans, though, this would practically be recess." Flutter looked over at Leol. The anxiety was clear on his dragonfly-like face.

"Leol-sama, the intruders are getting closer. Should we move now, or should we wait and let Neferpitou-dono play?" 

"A foolish question." He then ran over to the door and bolted through it, closing the door in his Officers' faces. Flutter and Hina looked at each other. They ran out of the room, after Leol. The latter was about seven feet ahead of them, his mane of white hair flowing as he dashed down the hallway. Hina had to make sure her hat didn't fly off her head. Flutter ran directly beside her, his arms in their usual position beneath his thick robe.

"I'm not gonna let _anyone_ take this chance from me! Hiding in wait is my forte, but that won't work right now!" Leol yelled, not looking behind him. 

"What if the enemy is stronger than you? Do we run away like we did last time? If it's another beautiful man, I don't think I'll be able to leave," Hina said to Leol.

"First of all, we didn't run away. We retreated. It's what the King of Beasts does," Leol growled. He then cleared his tone. "If the enemy is stronger than me, I won't retreat this time. I would rather just die now than disappoint the Royal Guards. If I'm gonna gain their trust, I can't back off from any threat to the King."

"Why do you even care? You could literally leave the palace now, and the Royal Guards wouldn't care," Hina shot back.

"Because I want _power."_

"If someone had to give it to you, is it even  _power_? Wouldn't it really just be someone stronger taking pity on you? I mean, I'm just asking?" Hina asked, unaware that she was getting on Leol's nerves again. The three Chimera Ants were close to exciting the building to confront the intruders outside.

"Yes, and no. I'll receive some power, then I'll gain it all by doublecrossing them. Hina, why can't be more like Flutter? Why can't you just shut up and watch?" Leol rudely said back to his female subordinate. Hina decided to stop talking. "By the way, Flutter, who is it? Who's outside?"

"Let's just say the trespassers will give you some competition for the Royal Guard's gratitude."

 _"Will_ they, now? I think _I'll_ be the judge of _that!"_

The three of them pushed open a door and headed outside. They ran across the courtyard with superhuman speed. They were beginning to leave the palace's courtyard. Leol had a power-hungry grin on his feline face as he dashed towards the two trespassers, preparing himself for battle. Flutter and Hina followed close behind him.

From a room within the palace, Pitou felt their bodies moving at an alarming pace. They were about to exit the impressive range of her  _En._ She wondered why Leol and his underlings would be so outside the palace without receiving any orders. It wouldn't make sense for him to leave after swearing his allegiance to them. What could he possibly gain from making a promise, then fleeing the scene.

 _What is he up to?_ Pitou wondered, her tail twitching behind her.  _I have no idea. Why is he running away from me? He knows he's safe as long as I'm around...Maybe I should've just let Youpi kill him when he offered to earlier. If Leol's acting this strange, he shouldn't be allowed near the King. Should I let Youpi handle it now? No. I shouldn't. He finally found something he likes. I'd hate to ruin it for him._

"And again!" Youpi shouted, slamming Pitou's arm on the table for the seventeenth time. 

"Let's go again," Pitou said, bringing her arm up to meet Youpi's.

_Nah. Whatever Leol's up to, it doesn't matter. Anyone who's not the King or one of my fellow Royal Guard is irrrlevant._

Back outside, Leol skidded to a halt. Flutter immediately stopped a few milliseconds afterwards. Leol stretched his arm out to the right to prevent Hina from falling. Leol's face was one of pure annoyance. Flutter stared at the intrudeds, gasping in shock. His eyes narrowing, Leol stepped forward.

 _"Ugggghhh...I_ thought someone _important_ would've shown up. Instead, it's just _you_ two," he taunted.

"You could say the same for us. We were just trying to find the King. We didn't expect to find nasty old _Hagya_ here," Welfin grinned, placing his hands on his hips. "I guess all three of us had the same idea."

"Listen up, you punks! The name's _Leol_ now, and don't you forget it!" Leol stated, giving a toothy grin to his fellow former Squadron Leaders.

 _"Leol?_ You changed your name? _Why?"_ Welfin asked, astonished.

"Because I wanted to. Do you have a problem with that?" Leol asked, now relaxed.

"No. We don't care. Isn't that right, Bloster?" Welfin asked with a smile, gesturing to the crayfish-based Chimera Ant.

"Yeah," Bloster agreed. He looked past the trio of Leol, Flutter, and Hina and at the Royal Palace of East Gorteau. "Woah. It's a lot bigger than how the Royal Guards described it. This is the place, _correct?"_

"Yep. The rules aren't that hard to figure out. We Squadron Leaders aren't allowed near the King. We must stay on the palace's first floor. You'll be expected to obey every command the Royal Guards give you. If you want to stay alive, you can't get caught addressing a single one of the monsters in an informal manner. Hanging around here has been pretty boring."

"We didn't come here for fun. We came here for power," Bloster said, his cold eyes on Leol.

"Laid-back as always, huh, Leol?" Welfin grinned.

"You _know_ it. Just a heads up...You guys better not get in my way. I actually came out here to deal with you myself. Flutter here was already received his power. It lets him spy on people without them knowing. He didn't tell me you two fools were out here, though," Leol said, gesturing to one of his Officers.

"Get in your way? You've always been selfish, _Hagya,"_ Welfin said. "The Royal Guards aren't here for _you._ They're here for any Squadron Leaders willing to serve them for power! That includes _us,_ you know!"

Leol growled. Welfin and Bloster chuckled on the inside. Leol quickly calmed down and resumed the conversation. "Speaking of Squadron Leaders, will any others be heading this way? I could send Flutter out to check, but his ability is pretty useful for surveillance."

"You already know Colt retired. If he was willing to turn to humans for assistance, he can't be a king. Bihorn, Small Bear, and that octopus-guy stayed behind too, so they won't come here."

"I believe one of Meleoron's soldiers stayed behind, too. It was that pink koala."

"Let's see...Peggy and Turtle are both dead. Alligator refused to tell any of us where he was going, and neither did Meloron," Welfin said, attempting to keep track of all the alive former Squadron Leaders.

"Zazan has always been independent, so she won't come to the Royal Guards for power. Even if we went to her, she wouldn't want to cooperate. And Cheetu's an idiot," Bloster said. The other four ants laughed at this comment. Bloster then turned his attention to Leol. "You're _here,_ so I believe that's everyone."

"About these powers, when do we get them?" Welfin asked Leol.

"You'll have to go to Pouf to pledge your loyalty. _He's_ the one who can give people powers. He's almost never on the first floor, so you would have to ask either Pitou or Youpi to bring him to you. That's assuming they'll even listen to your request," Leol responded, his eyes glaring down at the ground.

"Why does the Royal Guard have to be so strong? It's not fair."

"I know, right? Since when does a common _housecat_ have more power than the King of Beasts? It just defies the rules of nature," Leol roared. "This _Nen_ stuff is neat and all, but could we possibly use it to beat the Royal Guards?"

"I doubt it. They were born with _Nen._ Don't try it," Welfin said.

Leol sighed. "You're right. I'd just be throwing my life away. Anyway, come on. If you're with me, Pitou won't leap out of the palace and kill you. I can assure you _that._ If we can find Pitou, just swear allegiance to her. You shouldn't leave things involving intelligence and scheming to Youpi."

"Good, then. Let's go," Welfin said.

* * *

 "Pitou-dono!" Leol shouted, running up to the firstborn Royal Guard.

She turned her head slightly. When she saw Welfin and Bloster accompanying Leol, Flutter, and Hina, she smiled. She wore a calm expression. Youpi had fallen asleep, so she was just patrolling the hallways since she was so bored. It was now a few minutes past midnight. "Have you come to pledge allegiance to our King? That's good news!" Her tail swished excitedly as she turned all the way around.

"Yes! We agree to serve the King!" Welfin and Bloster yelled simultaneously.

"Um, what happened to your hand, Pitou-dono?" Leol asked.

Small traces of blue, Chimera Ant blood dropped from Pitou's right hand, onto the floor. The floor was stained by the drops. Pitou wiped off the blood with her other hand, spreading it, but making it dry. "Oh. I was bored, so Youpi and me were armwrestling. Youpi clearly bests me when it comes to physical strength. Oh, well. Nevermind that. I'll go get Shaia for you. If he's asleep, I'll kick him out of his chair. Be back in a second." Pitou then dashed off.

"What is Youpi?" Bloster asked, actually surprised for once.

"I believe he's an Enhancer," Welfin responded.

"But you can't be as strong as the King of Beasts, right?" Hina asked.

"Now you're just starting to piss me off," Leol stated.

Soft, elegant footsteps were heard coming in their direction. Pouf approached them, wielding a rulebook in his hands. He immediately noticed Welfin and Bloster. He instantly addressed them. "Hello. It's been a while since I've seen you two. Are you ready to serve His Majesty?" Pouf asked, giving them a steady stare.

Leol, Flutter, and Hina bowed to Pouf before leaving the scene. Leol wore a smirk on his face as he turned around the corner. Pouf took a step towards Welfin and Pouf. He placed a foot in front of the other. He looked at them. Welfin and Bloster dropped to their knees to kneel in front of the second Royal Guard. Pouf turned away, looking in the opposite direction.

"Very well. The King will be informed of your service. Follow me. I will prepare your powers," the blond said, walking away.

"Yes, Pouf-dono!" they said simultaneously. They hopped to their feet to follow Pouf.

* * *

"You are late," the King said, sitting at the table.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. Two former Squadron Leaders showed up to return to your service. I had to prepare powers for them. They are in their cocoons as we speak. Your Majesty, are you ready to begin your games?"

"Proceed," the King responded.

It was now morning. The time was 10:15. The King crossed his arms as Pouf stood behind the second chair. Pouf brought over a rulebook. He set it on the table, in front of the newborn Chimera Ant King. The King curiously gazed down at the book. He made a surprised noise as he read the title.

 _"Shogi?"_ he asked.

"Yes. It is one of the many games in this nation," Pouf said. "I sent Youpi to go and retrieve the game's current champion. He should be hear shortly, my King. I apologize for making you wait."

"This is acceptable. I must still prepare myself for this, after all," the King said calmly.

He opened the book. It was a very thick, leatherbound book. He turned the table of contents. The King started to read through the game's rules. It was not a very complex game. The King sat and read through the book for fifteen minutes before closing the book. During that time, Youpi had arrived with the current champion, an overweight blond man with a pink shirt. He decided to wait with the man outside while the King was still reading. Shaiapouf, who had stood at attention during that entire time, immediately fixed his focus on the King.

"Have you finished reading?" Pouf asked.

"Yes. I am ready to play."

"Very well. _Youpi!"_  Pouf yelled.

Youpi entered the room. He held the Shogi champion above the ground with one red hand. The man whimpered and trembled in fear as he was brought closer to the green being that sat at the table. The King's purple eyes met his own. The Shogi champion was close to fainting out of fear. Youpi passed Pouf, who gave the man an unfathomable expression as he read. Once Youpi was right behind the other chair, he set the man on the ground. 

"Your Majesty," Youpi said, bowing. He then left the room.

"Sit across from me now or die," the King announced, his expression calm.

Sweat slid down the man's face until it gathered underneath his chin. It then fell to the floor. The King's expression then grew angry as he watched the man stall for time. The Shogi champion nodded rapidly as he, rather clumsily, sat in the chair across from the King. 

 _Is this pathetic creature really my opponent?_ the King thought, disgustedly studying the man before him.

Pouf rose to his feet. He walked over to them and stood next to the man. His amber eyes gazed downwards, striking mortal fear into the Shogi champion. "Masador Diego, your leader, is dead. This is your new rules, your new king, the King. You will play the game "Shogi" with him. I believe you are the champion, yes?" The man slowly nodded, his eyes wide and fearful. "You _**speak**_ when you are in the King's presence!"

"Y-y-yes...I am t-the Sh-Shogi champion," the man nervously stated. His voice was very wobbly.

"Good. Like I said, the King here will play Shogi with you. He will beat you. When he does, it is up to him to decide what becomes of you. Do you understand, human?" 

"Yes!" the man blurted. He had noticed that his stuttering was getting on the King's nerves.

"Pouf!" the King said.

"Yes!" Pouf responded.

"Go tell Youpi to prepare the next champion. I grew tired of waiting for this embarrassment to show up, so I would rather not endure something like that a second time. Put the rulebook for that "Go" game beside me. I'll start reading it once I'm finished," the King commanded.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Pouf shouted. He set the "Go" rulebook next to the King, then left to find Youpi.

"Now then," the King began, turning to the overweight man in front of him. "Let us begin."

* * *

It did not take the King long. He was victorious. The former Shogi champion stared at the board, his mouth agape. The King stared at him, piercing his soul. Pouf sat nearby, reading another book. On the inside, he was jumping for joy. The King had managed to defeat a game's champion in less than an hour.

"Game over," the King said. He cleaned off the board before glaring at the Shogi champion. "You chose not to resign. _Why?_ This match was clearly over a long time ago?" The man continued to stare at the King, surprised and scared. With a flick of his tail, the King removed one of the Shogi champion's ears. The man held up his hands to the throbbing area. He gasped in pain. "I ask you again. Why did you not resign?" 

The man decided to make a break for it. He got out of the seat as quickly as he could. He tried to run away, but he nearly tripped with his first step. His clumsy, unbalanced balance was atrocious. The King killed him in an instant, sending his blood splattering across the floor. 

"Idiot," the King said, reaching for the "Go" rulebook. He began to read the book. Pouf emerged from his seat. He was about to remove the body when the King stopped him. "No. The body is fine there. I'll make an example out of this fat fool for the next one."

"As you wish." Pouf instead left the room. He saw Youpi walking up to him, holding another man in his large red hand. Pouf stopped walking to engage in conversation with Youpi. "That previous man is dead. The King is currentlg reading the "Go" rulebook. I believe it will not take long. Just wait here. Let's chat."

"Okay. How is the Selection going?" Youpi asked, tightening his grip on the squirming human in his hand.

"It is proceeding as planned. Nothing has gone awry yet. You should practice flying again. I don't think the King was satisfied with how you flew on the way here," Pouf suggested with a smile.

"Me neither. Something tells me Pitou wouldn't want to fly with me _either."_

"You were _lucky,_ though. Pitou was being annoying for the entire ride here. I thought about dropping her so many times, but I stopped myself," Pouf said. "She really does like to just mess with people. It's really irritating." Youpi nodded his head, agreeing with the previous statement. 

"You mean she really does like to just mess with _us,"_ Youpi corrected him.

"True."

"Where am I?" the Go champion asked aloud, shocked.

"Silence, human. You are about to enter the presence of the King."

"The _king?"_  

Pouf peeked inside the room. The King was already finished with the rules. Pouf returned to Youpi and the Go champion. He nodded at Youpi. Youpi nodded at him. The two Royal Guards entered the room, with Youpi carrying the bespectacled Go player in his hand. Pouf returned to his seat. Youpi threw the man on the floor. The man's glasses flew from his face, and onto the floor.

"My _glasses!"_ the man shrieked in surprise.

 _"Silence!_ You are in the King's presence," Pouf commanded.

The man managed to obtain his glasses. He put them on and gasped in shock at the King, who watched him with a bored expression. The Go champion was horrified. He then looked to the right and saw the bloody body of the previous champion. His heart started pounding in his chest. The King snapped his fingers. His temporary guest darted his head in the King's direction. The King pointed at the chair that sat across from him. The Go champion understood. Youpi left the room to go find Pitou. Pouf resumed his reading. He sternly watched the bespectacled human as he nervously made his way over to the King. The man was a nervous wreck.

* * *

 

"Well, then...How was it?" Pitou asked curiously.

"The King won easily. The first champion is already dead. I just delivered the second one. He won't be living for too much longer, I believe," Youpi responded, leaning against the wall. "You know, if you're so curious, you could always just watch. The King hasn't truly commanded you to be anywhere."

"I would, but I can't just watch _other_ people have fun. I have to have fun _myself,"_ Pitou responded.

"What have you even been doing since the King started playing games? You've been awake, since your En has never disappeared since we arrived," Youpi said.

"I've just been sitting around."

_"Sitting around?"_

"Um, yeah. There's not much else to do. Pouf has been too busy, so I haven't been able to annoy him, which is a bummer. I suppose I could play with _you,_ but it's a lot more fun to get on _Shaia's_ nerves. The funniest reaction I've gotten out of him so far was that time I licked his face."

"He was really trying to _kill_ you. He even threw his favorite book at you."

"I _know._ He has wings, so it wasn't fair."

"I had to literally grab him so he would stop trying to hit you. He wouldn't talk to either of us for an entire day. All the Squadron Leaders were really stunned. They had no idea of what to do. It was actually kind of _fun,"_ Youpi said.

"Now you're _getting_ it, Youpi! Annoying Pouf is really fun, isn't it?" 

"Yeah. It is."

"Anyway, will you be here for a while or will you be leaving?"

"The King will have quite some time before he's finished with the new champion."

"Do you wanna armwrestle some more? Let's use our left hands!"

"You're on!" Youpi yelled.

* * *

 

After ten games, the King achieved a win. He glared intensely at the Go champion. The latter saw his entire life flash by his eyes as the King did so. He was on the verge of breaking down and crying. Instead, he managed to maintain his composure just enough to beg for another chance.

 _ **"**_ _Please._ I only lost because I was tired. I got very little sleep last night. Give me another chance, I _beg_ you!" the Go champion pleaded.

"Very well. I shall give you eight hours. I give you access to all the medicine you need. Should you lose again, I will not care to here your petty excuses. Do you understand?" the King demanded, staring into the soul of his temporary guest. The man squeaked "Yes", quivering in fear. Satisfied, the King turned to Pouf. "Pouf. Take this fool to Youpi. Have him take him home."

"As you wish," Pouf said, standing to his feet. He walked over to the man and stood behind his chair. "Come on." The man stood from his chair and followed Pouf, gazing back into the cold eyes of the King. 

"Tell Youpi to retrieve the next champion!" the King ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Pouf replied.

Youpi returned later that day. He stood in the room. The King was finished reading the "Gungi" rulebook. Pouf glanced towards Youpi. The youngest Royal Guard nodded. He opened the red curtains. A blind, white-haired woman walked into the room, feeling around with her walking stick. Komugi walked into the room, catching amused glances from both the King and Pouf.

 

 


	3. Severe Disappointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King begins to play Gungi with Komugi. He becomes very frustrated with the seemingly dim-witted girl. He just can't win. The three Royal Guards, especially Pouf, hate to see the King like this, but they know they can't kill her yet.

Komugi entered the room, sniffing loudly. Her nose was running intensely. Pouf watched her as she passed by him. He was disgusted. Youpi looked back with one last look of bewilderment. He then left, his eyeballs on Komugi in astonishment. The King gazed at her as she came closer, using a walking stick to find her way. His gaze was very stern, and he looked somewhat insulted.

 _Is this a **joke?**  _the King wondered. He gave a suspicious look to Pouf, who nodded firmly.

Pouf went back to reading, but he continued to watch the so-called "champion" of Gungi. Komugi eventually found her way to her seat. She casually took a seat in front of the King, who was surprised. He did not know what to do. It was the first time a human hadn't trembled in fear before him. The King's deadly glare was on this girl, but she had no clue that such a glance was being casted on her.

"We will play Gungi. That is all you need to know," the King roughly explained. He expected his visitor to tremble in fear before his very presence, but he was mistaken.

Instead, Komugi bowed respectfully. She placed her arms on the table and put her head down. "I-I-I am honored to be chosen to participate in an activity with you, Supreme L-Leader! I'm ready when y-you are!" Komugi said. She then took an involuntary pause. Her mouth opened slightly as she scooted back in her seat. Komugi had just noticed something strange. "H-hold on...What's going on? You don't s-s-sound like the Supreme Leader!" Her voice was quivering.

"I am not the Supreme Leader. I am the King."

Despite her blindness, it was clear that Komugi was shocked. Her eyebrows arched as her mouth opened slightly. A light sound was heard emitting from her throat. "The _K-King?_ What happened to the Supreme Leader?" Her voice was light and very nervous.

"He's dead.  _I'm_ in charge," the King casually responded. He then looked at her face. Her eyes remained closed. The King could not come to accept that his opponent would be a blind person. "Are you truly blind? How can one master something they cannot see?"

"Yes, S-S-Supreme Leader! It is true that I can't see a thing. If you were to tell me each move you make, I can compete against you. I've managed to mm-memorize every s-single feature of this game, so I don't need to see," Komugi stuttered.

"Very well. I will soon be ready to commence Gungi. Prepare yourself," the King warned. He was actually warming up to being called the "Supreme Leader".

"Yes! I'm ready!" Komugi smiled, sniffing again.

"Stop that. It is very annoying," the King commanded, his voice raising.

"Stop w-what, Supreme L-L-Leader?" Komugi whimpered, clearly frightened.

"Stop sniffing like that! It's getting on my nerves!" the King explained. "Sit there and don't make a sound. I'll face you once I'm finished reading the rules of Gungi. _Pouf!_ " Pouf immediately stood up. He hurried over to the King and bowed to him. "Tell Youpi to get ready to retrieve the Go champion. I will engage him again once I'm finished with this girl."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Pouf nodded, quickly leaving the room.

Komugi had shut her mouth in correspondence with the King's demand. Her already-closed eyes squeezed together tightly as she put her index finger over her mouth. The King rolled his eyes at his guest's apparent stupidity. He proceeded to open the Gungi rulebook. He started to read through the game's basic fundamentals. Pouf returned while the King was reading. He looked over at the King and smiled. The second Royal Guard reopened his book.

It took the King around ten minutes to read all the game's rules. Once he was finished, the Chimera Ant King closed the book and set it on the table. Pouf came over to retrieve the rulebook. As he was about to take it, he noticed that Komugi was lying on her side, unconscious. The King and Pouf both glanced at her, questions in their heads.

"Pouf, what happened?" the King asked, his eyes widening.

"Your Majesty, you told the girl to sit here without making a sound. She pressed her lips together quite tightly. However, her nose was clogged, so she was unable to breathe. Therefore, she passed out," Pouf explained.

"This is an uncommonly-stupid girl," the King stated. He looked down at Komugi in annoyance. "Wake her up."

Pouf lightly tapped Komugi with his foot until the Gungi champion woke up. Komugi yawned loudly as she lifted herself off the ground. She rubbed at her eyes and stretched. Pouf returned to his seat. The King glared at her. She was beginning to truly annoy him.

"I am finished reading. We will now play," the King announced.

"Y-yes, Supreme Leader!" Komugi stuttered. Her face was one of respect and determination. She wasn't trying to stall for time, but she decided to apologize to the King. "I apologize, Supreme Leader. I am just a fool who knows nothing of the outside world! Even simple tasks for babies are far beyond my capability! I do not wish to waste your time with my fool-!"

"Silence. I do not care. Just play the game," the King ordered, his patience wearing thin.

"Yes, Supreme Leader!" Komugi sniffed, a wide smile forming on her face. Her black, bushy eyebrows rose. "If you would, Supreme Leader, please remember that I cannot see, so you'll have to-."

The King lashed his tail against the table, violently making the wood rattle. Komugi jumped in fear, trembling uncontrollably. Pouf merely watched as the King's glare focused on this temporary, white-haired guest. He could see trails of sweat running down her face.

 _Be careful, girl,_ Pouf thought, his gaze returning to his book.  _Choose your words carefully...If you say anything the King doesn't like, he won't bother with playing Gungi. Your life rests in his hands._

"Do _not_ repeat information I'm already aware of! I am the _ultimate_ life form! I do _not_ forget anything, nor am I lenient with **_anything!"_** the King roared, punching the table at the end of each sentence. Komugi shuddered with terror at each loud blow. "If you would rather _talk_ to me, I have no business with you, meaning I will kill you now! Either play Gungi or die! I'll be triumphant either way! So pick your poison, impudent fool!" Komugi began to whimper before the King. He just released a cruel grin that she was not capable of seeing. His stern frown then returned. "Do _not_ make me repeat myself."

"I-I'm sorry! Let's play!" Komugi yelled abruptly.

"Excellent choice. _Pouf!"_

Pouf emerged from his seat once again. He rapidly made his way over to the King and Komugi. Not skipping a beat, the middle child of the Royal Guard prepared the board for the two competitors. He set up the King's side of the board first. He then prepared the visitor's region of the board. The amber-eyed Royal Guard bowed to his leader before returning to his seat to wait patiently.

"Let us begin," the King commanded, his tone now normal. Komugi nodded in agreement, all signs of fear no longer on her face. The King was pleased with how she responded without uttering a word. The King made his first move of the game. He then felt a powerful, mysterious presence. He looked up.

Komugi's eyes were open. He looked up in shock to see the two, perfectly-intact green eyes staring down at the board. The King could not believe what he was seeing. He looked past her to look at Pouf. Pouf had noticed it too. He was glancing at Komugi with an understandable face of surprise. The King's surprise turned into rage. He believed he had been lied to.

"What is _**this?"**_ the King demanded. "Your eyes...they've opened. How?"

"They have?" Komugi asked. Her voice was no longer timid or confused. It, and Komugi herself, seemed entirely mystic. The atmosphere in the room had changed. The King found himself facing an entity he did not understand. He also did not know how to understand it.

"Then you still can't see?" the King asked.

"No. I don't see a thing." The King was left gazing at someone in awe for the first time. Even his Royal Guards hadn't gotten their King to look at them like this. Only Pitou had gained the King's respect so far.

 _Is this **Nen?**  _the King wondered.  _This shouldn't be possible! This girl is an utter weakling! I fear taking her aura would be a waste of my time. Why does something so fragile have access to Nen? It defies all logic!!! In nature, only the strongest creatures get access to the goods! What is this?_

While the King's mind was racing, Pouf took it upon himself to use  _Spiratual Message_ on him. His butterfly wings expanded to their full wingspan and showed several bright, flashy colors. Pouf hid his  _Nen_ ability behind the King's own confusion so he would not be discovered. The blond scanned the King's mind for the certain emotions he believed to be currently plaguing the King. With his power, Pouf managed to find what he was looking for.

_My King...You shouldn't bother with an opponent such as this? Even if the girl has Nen, she is still defenseless. A single scratch from Pitou's pinky would be more than enough to finish off this embarrassment. She is not worth your time. Please realize this._

Meanwhile, the King was so deep in thought that he hadn't heard Komugi calling him. She was telling him that it was time to make another move. Komugi eventually decided to knock softly on the table. The King's thoughts were interrupted. He looked up to see Komugi "staring" at him. 

"What is it? If you have a problem, speak up. I shall address it immediately," the King said.

"It is your turn," Komugi answered.

""It is your turn"? What happened to the _respect?_ What happened to "Supreme Leader"? You better learn to treat His Magesty with _respect,_ you wretched girl! Prepare to learn your place!" Pouf threatened, preparing to rise out of seat. He raised a hand, preparing to lash out. He made his first step in the direction of Komugi.

 _"Pouf!"_ the King yelled, looking up at his subordinate. _"Silence!_ Sit down!"

"But Your Majesty...This girl doesn't know-."

"Do _not_ make me repeat myself," the King threatened, glaring harshly at his Royal Guard. 

"Yes, Your Majesty...," Pouf said, slowly sitting down. He gave Komugi a quick glare as he returned to his book. He kept twitching his fingers as he imagined morbid thoughts. The King noticed Pouf's hostility towards Komugi. He chose to ignore it for now. 

Instead, the King proceeded to make his second move of the game. Komugi then made her move, and the King made his third move. This process continued on and on until Komugi managed to beat the King. The King's eyes widened as he stared at the bored. This was the first time he had been genuinely surprised.

Komugi returned to normal. Her eyes closed and her aura vanished. She was reduced to the sniveling cautious girl from before. Her stupid smile returned. The King eyed her with the mildest form of respect. Komugi sniffed again. She began to speak normally, in her unrefined way. "I had f-fun, Supreme Leader. You are a r-r-really good player. You are _far_ more talented than I could ever wish to be. May we play again?"

The King was stunned. She was showing respect for him despite his clear, embarrassing loss. "No. I'm done with you for now. You will return later, once you rest up. However, I warn you, once your return, there shall be no breaks. _Pouf!_ Summon Youpi! _Immediately!"_

"Yes, Your Majesty," Pouf complied, standing to his feet. He departed from the room, leaving the King along with Komugi. He shot her one last look of vehemence before completely vanishing. The King was actually considering having Pitou monitor his matches. Pouf was proving to be a nuisance at best.

"You managed to defeat me...What _are_ you?" the King asked, actually confused.

"Huh? C-could you please repeat that, Supreme Leader? I misheard you." Komugi asked, turning in the King's direction.

"Nevermind what I said. I hate to say it, but I must admit you have caught my attention. You have proven to be far superior than I originally thought possible. I will summon you again later."

Pouf then returned. He entered the room, his arm crossed and his eyes closed. Youpi walked in behind him, gazing down at the King and Komugi. He was surprised to see the girl still living. He glanced at Pouf, confused. Pouf shrugged, not understanding. This was something that had never happened before. Pouf did not know how to respond to the situation. He gestured towards the King. Youpi stepped forward.

"Escort Komugi out if my palace. Then retrieve the Go player," the King ordered. Komugi stood up from her seat. She walked in the direction of Youpi's thunderous footsteps. She stood before him. Youpi stared down at her oddly before redirecting his focus on the King.

"My King, the Go player hanged himself," Youpi said, grinning. "He is no longer a competitor. You broke him."

The King laughed loudly at this statement. Komugi brought her hands to her face in fear. "In that case, return to your seat, idiot. We shall play more Gungi. Youpi, you are dismissed."

Youpi nudged Komugi forward. She nervously walked back to her seat. She sat in it once again and pulled herself up to the table. Youpi turned around and proceeded to leave. He looked down at Pouf as he passed his older brother. He grinned down at him. Pouf gave him a slight smile, then entered the room. Youpi left, his elephantine steps disappearing into the background. Pouf took his seat, then watched as the King and Komugi commenced Gungi for the second time. He was pleased. Komugi was now frightened. She had been reminded of the situation she was in once again.

The King lost again. Then he lost on the third attempt. On the his fourth loss, he decided to just leave. The King grew angry. He abruptly rose from his seat, glaring down at Komugi with pure hatred. She turned up to face him, looking somewhat concerned. The King began to walk away, seething with rage. "This time, I'm truly done. We will play again first thing tomorrow. To make that as convenient as possible... _Pouf!_ Prepare a room for this girl! She will reside _here_ until I have thoroughly obtained a satisfying victory! _Understood?"_ The King didn't even wait for Pouf's response. He left the room, departing for his bedroom.

Pouf turned and watched as the King left. He then turned to Komugi. He scowled, sending a fierce bloodlust in her direction. Komugi's ignorance of _Nen_ left her unaware of such a powerful force. Pouf's blue aura emitted from his body and surrounded her. Komugi actually began to feel strained. Pouf stopped before he killed her with his aura alone.

Komugi wiped her nose as Pouf's retracted his aura. He approached her and grabbed the arm that was not used to wipe the girl's nose. He marched out of the room, yanking the girl along with him. Pouf's grip was quite strong, but Komugi did not resist. She did not wish to anger the one who currently had full control over her. Within seconds, he found an unoccupied room in the palace. It at least had a bed and a nightstand. Pouf nudged her inside.

"You will stay here until the King beckons you. If you leave, I will not be able to stop any of the other ants from eating you. Have fun," Pouf said before leaving. He waited outside the room, leaning against the wall.

 _"Ants?"_ Komugi asked. Pouf snickered as he made his way down the hallway. He made his way to the King's bedroom. He entered, and he was greeted with a lash of the King's tail.

Pouf was sent back into a wall. He froze for a second before sliding to the ground. A bruise mark had been painted on his face. He wiped at the bottom of his face. He then bowed to the King. The King sat on his bed, reading a book. He glared down at his Royal Guard when the latter stood to his feet.

"Have you forgotten? You are _forbidden_ from entering my personal domain. The next time this happens, I will take your head," the King warned, shaking his green tail menacingly.

"I apologize, My King. I am here to inform you that I have delivered the girl to her room," Pouf said. "That is all."

"This was a waste of my time. Leave at once," the King ordered.

"Very well." Pouf complied, exiting the room. He passed by Komugi's room to check on her condition. He smirked when He saw her still trying to figure out what Pouf had meant by "ants". He walked down to the first floor of the palace. He sat on the steps, leaning forward. He heard footsteps approach him. He glanced up to see Youpi standing before him. Youpi's face was concerned. He could somewhat read Pouf's expression. He saw Pouf's bruise.

"The King?" Youpi asked.

"Yeah. His strength is immeasurable."

"Is she not dead yet?" Youpi asked, folding his massive, red arms.

Pouf shook his head. He raised his head to look into Youpi's face. "It's even _worse_. The King has demanded for the girl to live here now. He had me prepare a room for her. She is upstairs as we speak."

 _"What?_ What's going on? That girl should be _dead_ by now. Is she _really_ going to stay here?" Youpi asked.

"I'm afraid so. But I have managed to find a loophole," Pouf said, raising his index finger.

"What is it?" Youpi questioned, curious. He stepped forward and sat down next to Pouf. They turned to face each other. Pouf began to explain his discovery. Youpi drew his head near, preparing to listen for a long time.

"Only _we_ know about this girl, meaning we could command one of the lesser ants to kill her, then we kill them before they tell the King. If anyone else happens to intervene, we just kill them too," Pouf explained. "We could even just ask Pitou to patrol the area where the girl stays. Maybe she would kill her for us."

"Don't you remember? Pitou doesn't interact with humans that aren't worth her time. Plus, she would probably be too curious about why the girl was here, so she would probably go to the King," Youpi countered.

"Well, I can use my wing scales to hypnotize her. She can't say "no" _then,"_  Pouf argued.

"The King would still likely sense your aura. The plan is too risky, but I agree with you. We should kill the girl, but we can't defy the King's direct order. We should just wait until things change. They're _guaranteed_ to change," Youpi responded.

"Something has to change, that's for certain. But I can't just _sit_ here as this girl influences the King! Like I suggested, perhaps I could send one of the lesser ants to kill her. Perhaps one of them wouldn't question the girl's presence here, and would just kill her on the spot. Perhaps Bloster would. What do you think?"

"Didn't you put him and Welfin in cocoons to get their powers?"

 _"Damn,_ you're right.."

"Then they won't be out until tomorrow, right?" 

"Not necessarily. It doesn't exactly work like that. It varies between people based on their personalities, desires, learning rates, and several other qualities. It took Leol three days to learn his power. He said he was a slow learner," Pouf said.

"Well, whatever. I still think you should wait. Anyway, where is the King now?" 

"He's in his room now. He does not wish to be disturbed," Pouf answered, gesturing to the bruise on the left side of his face. He then glanced out a window. Nightfall was approaching. "It seems he wishes to remain alone until he feels like facing that girl again. I doubt any of us will be able to get through to him."

"Of course we won't. The King has absolute power. There's no point in trying to persuade him to do _anything._ Let's decide what to do tomorrow. For now, we wait. We haven't seen Pitou for a few hours, so we might as well see what she's been up to."

"She's most likely been off doing cat things."

"Like playing with her own tail?"

"Precisely."

"Where would Pitou even be? We haven't seen her in hours."

"We don't need to know where she is. We can just use this ominous _En_ to guide us. You just go in the direction in which the aura feels the most intense." Pouf then stood up. He completed a full spin around to survey the area. He got off the steps and walked away from Youpi, using the vast  _En_ to find his way. Youpi followed behind him, yawning loudly.

Far behind them, Leol stood around a corner, grinning deviously. He watched the two younger Royal Guards as they left the scene. Leol emitted a low chuckle before retreating. He prepared to make his appearance later, when all three of them were together. Pitou was not around, so he could speak without fear of being heard.

"A human girl, huh? Maybe I can just use _Pouf_ to climb my way to the top," he laughed as he walked away.

Pouf and Youpi managed to track Pitou down. She was in a "lounge room" of some sort. Pitou was lying down on a rather long bench, reading a book. Once her cat ears heard the footsteps of Pouf and Youpi, she quickly looked up. The book immediately dropped from her clawed hands as she quickly sat upright, her legs crossed. She smiled at them, her white cat tail waving side to side.

"Yo," Youpi grinned.

 _"Guys!_ What have you been up to?" Pitou asked.

"We've been assisting the King in his games. I retrieve the game champions while Pouf delivers the rulebooks and monitors the matches. It isn't tiresome at all, but I would rather just relax all day, like _you've_ been doing," Youpi explained.

"I'm sure it's fine. At least you have something to _do._ It's boring without having one of you guys to mess with, especially _Pouf."_

"Thanks for the honesty," Pouf grunted.

"No problem. Speaking of which, _nyaaaaaaaa!"_ Pitou leapt forwards and landed on Pouf's shoulders. She reached forwards and proceeded to play with his antennae. Pouf glared up at her. Youpi just laughed.

"I'm always happy to keep you company, but I would rather not have my antennae _played_ with."

"Relax, Pouf. I haven't even nibbled on them yet."

"You will _not_ nibble on them. Now _get_ off me," Pouf protested

 _"Fine...,"_ Pitou moaned. She dropped down to the floor, behind Pouf. The latter folded his arms and looked up at Youpi. Pitou grabbed his cape and she started to twist it, eyeing it in fascination. Pouf's eyes narrowed, but it wasn't out of pure rage. _"There._ I didn't nibble on your atennae."

"She's right, Pouf," Youpi said.

_"Uh-huh."_

"You stupid _cat!_ I am going to _punch_ you!" 

"I welcome it," Pitou giggled. She then turned her head so she could see both Pouf _and_ Youpi. "So then, are we hanging out or what? So far, it's just been me making Pouf mad, which is not hard to do, I remind you."

"I'm not mad. I'm just annoyed."

"Is there even a difference?" Youpi asked. He then knelt down and fixed Pouf's cape. Pouf gave Youpi an expression of gratitude. Pitou looked at Youpi with a scornful expression.

"Just drop it. So, what _will_ we do? Midnight is approaching rather swiftly. Then there won't be much longer until you guys have to go back to the King. For now, let's _play!"_ Pitou exclaimed.

"Your idea of "playing" is just fighting. I would rather not engage in combat with _you,"_  Youpi responded.

"I'm with Youpi. I'd rather not end up with my decapitated head in _that demon's_ lap," Pouf said, pointing at Pitou.

 _"Come_ on! It was _one man!"_

"Yes, but you're still a monster," Pouf said to her. "You even kept the poor man's body around. It seems rather repulsive to me. You're a _disgusting,_ filthy creature, Neferpitou."

"Keep talking like that, and I really _will_ kill you."

"Will you guys ever stop fighting? It's getting on my nerves!" Youpi interrupted.

"Sure. I'll retreat for now, but just for Youpi. We'll settle this later, Shaia," Pitou complied.

"Very well."

"Now let's discuss something that's actually _relevant,_ such as the King," Youpi said to his siblings.

"Oh, right. How has he performed? I could come and watch him play, but I'd be too bored _watching_ him play games. Has anything seemed _off?"_ Pitou asked.

"We were discussing the topic before deciding to come and find you. The King has faced three opponents so far. The first one was the champion of a game called "Shogi". He was merely a fool who did not know his place. The King ended the fool's life following his victory. The second one was the Go champion. Once the King managed to beat him, the poor sap was making excuses for his loss. The King conceded to allow him eight hours to be in top condition. But he hanged himself earlier today."

"Things seem to be progressing as they should. I'm sorry, but I don't see a problem," Pitou interrupted.

 _"Wait,_ and I'll tell you, you stupid cat!" Pouf yelled. Pitou hissed at him. "Anyways, the third champion is the problem. It's this girl. The King actually lost to her."

"He _lost?_ The King isn't supposed to lose," Pitou said.

"I'm well aware of that. _Thank_ you. The King actually decided to keep her here until he bests her. The girl is staying in a room upstairs. He had me prepare the room for her. It was humiliating. I went to the King's room to try to convince him, but I was punished for entering. I was immediately dismissed."

"The King hit him with his tail. Look at his face," Youpi explained.

Pitou walked around Pouf and turned around. She stood on her toes as she examined Pouf's face. She grabbed Pouf's right cheek as she carefully felt the bruise on his left cheek. She wore a curious smile as Pouf's eye twitched at the sharp texture of her claws. Pouf soon removed Pitou's hand from his face. She put her hands behind her back.

"That's quite the mark. It looks worse than mine did. I guess I'm made of sturdier stuff than you," Pitou stated.

"There was blood running from your mouth down to your chin. There was only a tiny bit of blood on my face," Pouf countered.

"The King's strength grew after consuming that rare human, correct? That means he was stronger when he hit _you_ than during the time he hit _her._ That would make _you_ more durable than _her,_ wouldn't it?" Youpi asked.

"Pitou, go see what the King wants. We can find out who can take more hits."

"Screw off," Pitou responded.

"Woah. You seem pretty agitated. Why are you so hissy?" Youpi asked.

"You guys are trying to make me "hissy". I won't give in, though. Being a Royal Guards means I have to always be ready to make an important situation. I wouldn't want you guys to affect my mood while serving the King. I wouldn't wanna get slapped a second time! Isn't that right Pouf?" she taunted him.

Pouf stepped up to Pitou. He reached down and grabbed her shoulders. He looked down directly into her face. His tone was firm and sturdy. Pitou was expecting him to yell. "Pitou, what I'm about to tell you is pretty secretive information. I'm telling you because I trust you. No matter what I say, it cannot leave this room. Even if the King demands you to reveal the secret, you mustn't do it. Do you accept?"

"Yeah. Go ahead."

"Very well. I want that girl to die, no matter the cost."

"He's been brooding over that girl for the past few hours. He's deeply troubled," Youpi said to Pitou.

"The King doesn't realize this girl has the potential to change him. This next part is something I haven't even told Youpi yet," Pouf said. He then paused and sighed. His amber eyes gazed down at the tiled floor before returning to the other Royal Guards. "The girl actually used _Nen."_

"What? Are you serious?" Youpi questioned, baffled.

"Yes. The girl's eyes opened. The room's entire atmosphere changed. The girl began to act strangely. Everything about her changed. Even the King was stunned. She even addressed him without the necessary respect in one sentence. I was about to act accordingly, but the King stopped me."

"That's quite the _dilemma,"_ Pitou said.

"Is she strong?" Youpi inquired.

"No. She is an utter weakling, but a problem still remains." Pouf then looked up. Pitou and Youpi saw that he was crying. "The King won't let her go until he beats her, but that girl is actually evolving. And at an alarming rate, at that. I can't see the King beating that girl anytime soon. He actually treated her with the mildest form of respect. I believe this girl is capable of taming the King."

"He can't be tamed. The King is the ultimate life form. He can't be bested," Pitou contradicted.

"I'd believe you if you hadn't already changed. This girl is dangerous. She must be eliminated."

"You can go kill her right now if you'd like, but the King is no fool. The three of us were born with an insane amount of aura, but we need practice. We all have trouble controlling our bloodlust. Just stay put, Pouf. You'll just get yourself killed," Pitou countered.

"Won't it be worth it if I free the King from this curse?" 

 _"No!_ It won't be _worth_ it!" Pitou yelled. She glared at Pouf. "The King might possibly intervene himself if you went after that girl. You would just _die,_ leaving _us_ alone!"

Pouf was taken back. He released his grip on Pitou. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "My apologies. I refused to think about your emotions."

"You're forgiven, so stop crying. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."

 _"Me_ too, Pouf," Youpi said.

"Deal. I promise to not kill that girl. I will do as the King says. He will beat her eventually," he said, somewhat doubtfully. 

 _"See,_ Pouf? You think too much. Just wait to see how things play out, _then_ you make your move."

 _"Whatever,_ Youpi."

"Do you think the King would possibly want to mate with that girl?" Pitou questioned.

A long silence then occurred. Each Royal Guard stared at the others. The atmosphere became awkward and intense. Pitou's eyes were on Pouf. The butterfly man crossed his arms and turned his head away from them, frowning for no real reason. Pitou then turned away, staring down at the floor. Youpi focused his eyes on another part of the room, oblivious to what was going on. Several minutes passed by. The silence was broken by a yawn from Youpi.

"Well, then. It's practically midnight now. I wanna get some rest. I'll see you guys tomorrow," Youpi said. He then slowly brought himself down to the ground. He stretched out his limbs as he found a comfortable position. He fell asleep within seconds. He snored loudly, irking his two older companions. 

"Yeah, I can't deal with that. I'm off. Later, Pitou."

"Bye."

Pouf exited the room, leaving Pitou to stare down at the unconscious Youpi. Turning his head to see them one last time, he saw Pitou quickly crouch down to the ground. He saw her gingerly crawl onto Youpi's back. A playful smile appeared on Pitou's pale face as she gripped Youpi's ears. The red beast remained unconscious, leaving himself vulnerable to Pitou's mischievous antics. 

 _That's your mistake, Youpi. You never let your guard down around Pitou,_ Pouf smiled.

Pouf turned his back. He began the search for his violin. He believed he could play softly enough to to not irritate the King. Pouf's light footsteps echoed throughout the hall. This was the loudest sound that could be heard. Pouf smiled when he heard a loud crash. Most likely, Youpi had woken up and was not pleased. He imagined Pitou had been thrown to the floor. If so, Youpi was likely currently trying to crush Pitou.

 _The_ blond quickly left, not wanting to be present if the King happened to arrive. He went upstairs to the King's game room. Everything seemed perfectly in order. He checked every inch of the room, but he failed to find his most prized possession. Pouf recalled offering it to the King earlier, so he must've had it nearby. In fact, he remembered bringing it inside.

 _Where's my violin?_ Pouf wondered, becoming concerned. His face then brightened.  _Perhaps the King decided to try playing an instrument after all!...No. That can't be it. The King is too obsessed with Gungi and that damned girl to care about anything else! But still, where the hell is my violin?_

Pouf decided to check on Komugi. He left the game room and walked to her room. A small part of him half-expected to find her dead due to stress. Overall, Pouf knew his fortune was not that good. He cracked the door to see Komugi sprawled out on top of the bed, a large snot bubble above her mouth. A stupid smile was present on her face. Just looking at it made Pouf twitch.

 _Simply **disgusting.** Why has this thing, of all creatures, intrigued the King? _ Pouf's thoughts were powered by anger and concern. He thought about entering the room to kill her anyway, but he remembered the promise he had made to his siblings. The King was even asleep. Pouf knew this. Yet, he did not act.

Within minutes, Pouf returned to the game room to check once again. He did not find his precious violin. A book would've done the job, but Pouf wanted his instrument. It was the only thing that could calm down during outbreaks of severe stress, such as this one.

Pouf cried again. He didn't bother with wiping the tears. No one was there to watch him, so he didn't care. He let the small streams rage down his face and onto the floor. He screamed loudly, not caring if anyone happened to hear him. No one did. Pouf struck several elegant poses in an attempt to set his emotions at ease. 

_My King...My King...My King...My King...My King... **Why?** Can't you see that girl is worthless?! She does not serve a purpose and she never will. I can understand wanting to best her to showcase your strength, but is it really worth it? Why can't you see? Why can't **those** two see? I'm doing things solely for the King! I know what's best for him! Damn it **all!** No one can see things the way I do! Why can't things play out the way I want them to?_

Pouf decided to return to Pitou and Youpi. It was now past midnight. In three to seven hours, the King would awaken. That meant Komugi would soon awaken too. Pouf would always be at his side, but he needed some company. Even if he was frustrated with Pitou and Youpi, they were his only friends. 

He departed from the room again. He soon found himself on the palace's first floor again. Pouf started to make his way towards Pouf and Youpi. He was still sniffing from his previous outburst. He heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Leol grinning at him.

"Yo."

 _"Yo?!_ Is that really how you addess a Royal Guard?!" Pouf demanded, his depressed expression immediately disappearing. His face flashed intense anger. "If I gave you power, wouldn't it be highly possible to take it from you? Stand still. I'll kill you in a flash."

""Royal Guard" my _ass._ Your face is a mess. What's with you? Have you been crying or something?" Leol laughed.

"No...," Pouf muttered. He quickly wiped underneath his nose.

"Either way, I don't really care. I came here to discuss _business._ You would lose a valuable asset if you were to kill me, so I figured I wouldn't bother with respect. That seems fair, yeah?"

"Are you really trying to bargain with a Royal Guard?" Pouf asked, astonished. "You're quite bold."

"If I want something, I try to get it. I don't sit on the sidelines while others get their picks."

"I could care less about your backstory. What do you have to offer?" 

"A deal."

"Go on."

"If I kill the girl for you, I want you to give me a power that's greater than the King's."

"Are you insane?!" Pouf screamed.

"No. But you are for even considering the request of a Squadron Leader. Are you not?" Leol responded, smirking. He crossed his arms and widened his grin. He narrowed his eyes in delight. He had Pouf fight where he wanted him.

"You want me to give you a power that's greater than the King's?!"

"Of course. I'm trying to become a king myself, but I can't do that with all these Hunters running around. So I thought striking this deal with you would benefit us both. What do you say? You can't stand that girl, right? I went to pay her a visit after you did. Do you know how close my fangs were? They were at her _throat!_ That girl is _defenseless!"_ Leol exclaimed.

"I _do_ want that girl to die...It's a deal," Pouf sighed, ashamed with himself. 

"No. Not yet. There's _one_ more thing."

"And what might _that_ be?"

"You have to protect me from harm until I can get outta this place. That would be betraying your King, _wouldn't_ it? Or would it be betraying your King of you didn't end this girl _now? Hmmmm...I wonder,"_ Leol flashed a grin at Pouf.

 _This bastard. He's got me from every angle. No matter what I do, I'll lose. But I must not forget the sole reason for my existence. I live to serve the King. Therefore, I must serve him...by betraying him,_ Pouf thought. He had been masterfully cornered. Like usual, his emotions had overpowered his logic.

"Very well. You're a cheeky bastard, but you've got yourself a deal. I shall begin to prepare your power."

"Sounds good. Pleasure doing business with you." Leol chuckled as he stepped forward to shake Pouf's hand. He looked up at Pouf, but he withdrew. Pouf noticed it too. Both of them turned around to see Pitou and Youpi standing behind them, enraged. Pitou's eyes were mere slits. Youpi's sclerae were completely red. Leol's eyes widened in fear. He prepared to make a run for it. Pouf stared at his siblings, unsure of what to do.

"That's the last _straw!_ Your time's _up,_  buddy!" Youpi yelled.

He started to dash towards Leol, a demonic grin present on his face. The former Squadron Leader's feline mouth hung agape. His body succumbed to the fear. He could not run. His legs were numb. Leol just watched as Youpi drew closer and closer. As Youpi passed Pouf, he gave him a cold stare. Pouf couldn't even look him in the eyes, nor was he willing to come to Leol's aid. Youpi prepared to throw a devastating punch. Pitou quickly stood in the way. Youpi stopped the punch from connecting.

"What the _hell?_ What are you _doing?!"_ Youpi demanded. Pitou ignored him. She turned around to face Pouf and Leol. She pointed at her cat ears.

 _Damn...,_ Pouf and Leol thought simultaneously.  _I forgot about those ears._

"Leol, you're dismissed. I will summon you later tonight, and you will come."

 _"Uhhhh...Yes,_ Neferpitou-dono!" He fell to his knees to bow gratefully. "I have learned my place!" He than ran away, leaving the three Royal Guards to come to a conclusion. Youpi glared at Leol as he left. He still wanted to kill him. He also wanted to kill Pitou for both waking him up and getting in his way.

 _Bah! Everywhere I turn, there's a monster lurking around the corner! I'll get some help from Welfin and Bloster. I'm no longer safe around Pouf, so that deal's off! It's all that damn **housecat's** fault, _ Leol frantically thought as he left.

Pouf had used  _Spiratual Message_ on Leol as the latter retreated. He nodded grimly as he read the lion's thoughts. "I agree." He turned around to face his two siblings. He quickly tried to come up with a believable lie to tell, but the others weren't having it.

"You're dead to me. Goodbye," Pitou said, walking away.

"You're literal _trash._ Don't talk to me, Pouf," Youpi said. He walked away, in the opposite direction.

* * *

The King and Komugi played Gungi again the next day, beginning at 11:00 in the morning. Pouf sat nearby. He had found his violin, but he now had a lot more weight on his shoulders. Things had not gone well the previous night. He was lightly stringing it, nothing like his usually-vigourous playing. The King noticed his Royal Guard's actions.

"Pouf, is something the matter? Why do you behave so strangely?" the King asked.

 _Does he actually care for my well-being? This is honestly just depressing now,_ Pouf thought.

"No, Your Majesty. I apologize for my behavior. I merely have been somewhat depressed. You shouldn't worry about me. You should only care about yourself," Pouf responded.

"Very well. If you won't discuss your situation, there is no point in asking you. You are free to leave if you would like. Nothing particularly interesting should happen anytime soon," the King said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

_As if. I can't trust you around this girl. I have to constantly keep you under my supervision. Since Pitou and Youpi are both mad at me, I'm the only one who can report any strange behavior. I'll have to apologize whenever I get the chance. They likely won't listen to anything else._

Pouf remained in his seat. He set his violin down on the ground. He started to read. The King simply ignored him. He told Komugi to get ready. The white-haired girl sniffed before eagerly agreeing. The King and Komugi played Gungi for the fifth and sixth times. The King lost twice. Yet, he still kept playing.

Eventually, Pouf tired of seeing the King lose. He left his chair, obeying the suggestion the King had made earlier. He left the room, his footsteps not attracting the attention of either the King or his guest. Pouf didn't even bother to express his hostility towards Komugi. There was no point.

He back down to the first floor of the palace. Leol stood at the bottom, his arms folded. He grinned evilly at the Royal Guard as the latter passed. Pouf paid him no mind. He wanted to kill Leol, but he had actually accepted that the situation was due to him. Pouf slowly walked away, on the verge of another breakdown. Leol smirked, satisfied. He laughed as he left to go find Flutter and Hina.

Pouf passed by the lounge room from earlier. Pitou was not here, so he entered. He found the book from before lying on the bench. He picked it up and sat down. He started to read. Pouf put one leg over the other as he hunched over. 

_What do I do? The King is still on a losing streak. He's actually been somewhat friendly with that girl. Why must life terrorize me?_

After two hours of reading, Pouf returned to the King. The King and Komugi were no longer playing Gungi. They were merely chatting. Pouf's heart almost stopped upon realization. His teeth grinded against one another as his fingers twitched. He felt tiny tears form. The King acknowledged his presence after seven minutes of Pouf waiting.

"Pouf, Komugi says she is hungry. You will prepare a meal for her and bring it here. Go into the nearest town and fetch some supplies. Got it?" the King ordered.

_Has he actually learned this girl's name?! **Whyyyyyyyyyyyy?!**_

"Yes, My King. I will return within the hour," Pouf responded. He then turned around. The tear wall broke. He departed quickly so that the King would not see his crying. The King then reengaged conversation with Komugi.

* * *

Meanwhile, Pitou was sitting at her post, her legs crossed. She was perched on top of one of the palace's golden pillars. She looked out onto the neighboring town. Her  _En_ surrounded the entire palace, do the inhabitants were completely safe. They hadn't left the palace since their arrival, so Pitou was bored. Yet, something even greater currently plagued her mind.

 _"Damn_ Pouf. How _dare_ he make deals behind our backs! What's wrong with him?!" Pitou yelled.

The midday sun flashed brightly. The heat was intense. At the moment, Pitou was happy to have white hair. Her ruby red eyes glanced around every now and then to avoid direct contact with the burning ball above. She gripped her jointed legs and began to rub them. 

"I trusted Pouf. I thought he would honor our promise. Why wouldn't he? Is his hatred for that girl _that_ intense?!" She clenched her fists tightly in order to relieve some anger. She was successful. "Maybe going after humans was a bad idea. I'm being far too emotional. For _normal_ Chimera Ants, this situation would never happen."

She then thought of the Chimera Ant Queen, who she now knew was dead. The appearances of all these rogue Chimera Ant confirmed it. Pitou sighed, thinking of how close she and Pouf had been when they first met. She remembered all the fun times she had teasing Pouf. On each occasion, he was annoyed, but it was clear that he enjoyed Pitou's company. When Youpi was born, the three of them stayed together. Pitou barely made any contact with the other ants.

 _"Sure_ we argued a lot, but that's what siblings _do,_ right? _Damn_ Pouf."

Her tail was swishing vigorously. This happened when negative emotions were at their high within her body. She released a low hiss as she recalled Pouf's actions the previous night. She had seen it in his face. Even when he had clearly been cornered, Pouf was ready to give them a simple lie. Pitou felt as if she had been lied to. Her face felt wet. She put a clawed hand to her face. Tear droplets appeared on her fingers.

"Are these _tears?_ Am I crying?" she wondered. She tried to dismiss the notion. "Impossible. Pouf is the emotional one. I do not cry...Yet I'm doing it right now. _Damn_ Pouf." Pitou then sobbed, her tears sliding down the golden pillar. Her vision was becoming impaired by the tears. She wiped at her face, eradicating the droplets. "He went behind my back. He did thought he had to do it to get his way. Am I a bad kitty?"

The thought of it rang throughout her head. Pitou had spent so much time focusing on fulfilling her duty that she had never thought of the feelings of others. She thought she had possibly hurt Pouf with her parting words. She hadn't seen Youpi since the previous night. Pitou believed he was choosing to avoid her.

"Why should it even matter? I should ignore what Pouf did and just focus on the King. _He's_ all the matters. If the King is harmed in any way, I have failed as a Royal Guard. My sole priority is the King's safety. The Selection will serve to create a mindless army for him. I shouldn't care about Pouf or Youpi. I should just care about the King."

Pitou saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes quickly darted in the direction of the moving figure. She saw Pouf flying out of the palace, towards the nearest town. Pitou quickly stood up.

_Where is he going? I know he's not about to leave the King's side!_

Pitou leapt towards in in Pouf's direction, concealing her presence. Pouf was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not notice her. He was tackled down to the ground, several meters below. Pitou stood over him, watching him sternly.

"Where are you going? You are a Royal Guard. You cannot leave the King's side," Pitou firmly said.

Pouf tried to stand to his feet, but Pitou was quicker. She pinned him to the ground, her hands gripping Pouf's shoulders. She sat on top of him and forced him to stare up at her. Pitou growled at Pouf's escape attempt. Pouf narrowed his eyes at her. Pitou's frown intensified. She punched Pouf in the face.

"Answer me. Where are you going?" 

"The King sent me off to retrieve some supplies for cooking. I need to be released in order to complete my assignment."

"I bet it's just another _lie,"_ Pitou spat. She then regretted her actions. Her plan was to remain calm and to not appear hurt. With the last word, she revealed that she was vulnerable. Negative emotions had gotten the best of her. On the inside, Pouf smirked. He decided to make his move.

"I'm sorry. I thought I could get Leol to get rid of the girl. I didn't mean to anger you."

"Well you _did._ I _trusted_ you, and you broke a promise! I thought we were _friends!"_

"Pitou...I've already apologized. There's not much else I can do. If you want to stay mad at me, there's nothing I can do. As Royal Guards, we aren't required to like or even _have fun_ with each other. But I would like to. I believe I'm now completely comfortable with thinking of you as a sibling. I hate to admit it, but you are my best friend. I would rather not lose neither you nor Youpi. _There._ I care about you."

Pouf's apology was somewhat pathetic, but it was very effective. Pitou got off Pouf. She helped to his feet. Pitou wiped off the tiny specks of blood on Pouf's face. The latter dusted himself off. He allowed Pitou to hug him. He didn't even grunt this time. He looked over Pitou's head. He saw Youpi staring down at them. Youpi gave Pouf a thumbs-up. He was no longer mad. Youpi then walked inside to monitor the King in Pouf's absence.

"We're cool now. I'm bored so I think I'll join you. I've tried to stay mad, but I've realized I can't hold a grudge. Youpi _can_ hold a grudge, but he's calmed down. He was _furious_ with you. I would rather just make amends and carry on," Pitou said, releasing Pouf. "Anyway, I sent Leol on a mission. He'll be out of the palace for a while."

"What's happening?"

"Some enemies have infiltrated the nation. They are quite skilled. They've been scattering the citizens about and throughout my puppets. I've thought about going after them myself, but the King needs me."

"Smart move. Let the lion try to handle this. He thinks he's climbing to the top."

"Watching him fail is gonna be hilarious."

"Yep."

Pouf then flew slightly above the ground. Pitou grabbed his legs. Pouf flew, taking Pitou taking with him.


	4. Internal Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leol developes a new plan. It's one that involves his fellow feline, Cheetu. Meanwhile, Komugi proves to cause more conflict for the Royal Guards. However, the King's determination leaves them to put up with the girl. Even though he agreed not to act, Pouf still refuses to accept the girl. Pitou is able to convince him to relax. Pitou, Pouf, and Youpi are able to bond over their current predicament.

"Yo."

"Yo."

"Your help was really nice. I had no idea those Hunters were just waiting for me. These humans are better than I thought," Cheetu said, glancing towards his fellow feline. He gave him a thumbs-up to express his gratitude.

"No problem, bub. But you know...some help like _that_ comes at a cost," Leol responded, smiling deviously.

"What's up?"

"I decided to take up the suggestion we were offered. I've sworn allegiance to the King and his Royal Guards. As a matter of fact, I'm on a mission right now. The thing is, there are too many enemies around for me to handle. I don't do well with crowds. I could really use some _assistance."_

"I don't have anything better to do. Plus I owe you...But I can't fight right now. This _thing_ has stuck to me like glue. I just can't shake it."  Cheetu gestured towards APR. He flicked it away, but it came right back. Leol grinned, amused. Cheetu noticed his companion's smile. It annoyed him. "See?"

"Oh, you mean your little _friend?_ I thought he was just some flea hanging around for the leftovers."

"No. That's not it. I have a question for you. What did those Hunters look like? I mean the ones who were attempting to ambush me," Cheetu responded.

"One of them was a pale-skinned man with no eyebrows and a long face. He had purple hair and dressed in a purple. One of his sleeves was abnormally large. The other one was a man with tanned skin. He was kind of mean-looking. He had his shirt off, but he had white pants and black shoes. He had black hair styled into a pompadour. This is what Flutter told me."

"That _bitch!!"_ Cheetu raged. He sighed and turned to Leol again. "To be honest, I got in a fight with the tanned man and another Hunter. They were no match for me, but they wouldn't quit. They managed to stun me for a second with one of their abilities. Pompadour-man managed to land a hit on my hip. It didn't hurt, but this little pain latched onto me. I can't outrun it, so I'm stuck with it."

"Are there any effects?"

"No. Nothing's happened so far. It's just an _eyesore._ I'm actually starting to regret challenging those Hunters. I had no idea _this_ was _Nen._ I don't wanna make a move until I find out what this thing does. I'm screwed."

"Maybe not. If you agree to help me, I might be able to get rid of that thing."

"Really?" Cheetu asked. He glanced at Leol. "I've been off on my own for a while. I've been enjoying the open air. But, since you were so nice back at the nest, I suppose I'll do you this one favor, _Hagya."_ Leol twitched at the last statement. A slight frown formed above his otherwise-smiling face. Cheetu gave him a smile. "I know...It's _Leol_ now."

"Pffftttt...You're still a bastard."

"Yeah. But I'm a _smart_ bastard. A smart bastard who _owes_ you." Cheetu then yawned loudly, revealing his sharp teeth. He closed his mouth as he reopened his squinted eyes. "You know, I could just refuse to help, but I've decided to honor the favor. I'll do it, but I want you to give me the scoop."

"You're a rather smart fellow."

"And you're just a _schemer."_

 _"Duh._ I can't rely on anyone else to fight my way to the throne. I've gotta reclaim it, and at all costs! _Cheetahs_ aren't fit to be kings, but I'll give you a high position once I rule. Perhaps you could be an entertainer."

"As _if._ If anything, there would be a _partnership._ I don't work if it doesn't benefit me."

"That's fair. You've proven to be a much better negotiator than I previously thought. To think that I used to think you were just a moron...You've gained my respect. Congratulations."

"I would also prefer to not be called a "moron"".

"I said _"used to"._ Come on, dude. You're a cat like me. Those ears are sharp. _Use_ them," Leol chuckled. He felt a vibration in his pocket. He reached down and retrieved the phone Neferpitou had given him. He checked it and smirked, satisfied. He answered the call. It was a one-sided conversation. Pitou was merely giving him an order "Pitou's given me a new lead, so I've gotta go. If you still want information, come with me. _You_ should have no trouble keeping up."

 _"Pitou?"_ Cheetu asked, astonished. "You better be careful. Even though we've learned Nen, the Royal Guards are still stronger than us. If you treat them without respect, your life is over."

"Please...I've already gotten away with being disrespectful. If you really wanna know, it was Pitou who saved me. As long as I keep thinking, I'll be fine. I'm sure I can handle it. It's too complex for someone like _you,_ though."

"You were disrespectful, but you lived to tell the tale? How?! I wanna know the full story."

"There are some parts I can't explain, since I don't understand them myself. For now, just know that I was able to take advantage of Pouf. I managed to coax him into a deal, but that deal's over now. The Royal Guards probably plan to keep a close eye on me now. It's _frustrating."_

"If it's frustrating, maybe you should try to work around some problems. You're obviously not gonna give up this "King of Beasts" thing. But, you have to open your eyes. If you don't change your ways, you're just gonna die."

"I don't fear death. The only thing I fear is my throne getting cold. I need more grunts like you and the others to carry out my plans." 

"So you're gonna carry out your plans while you carry out the Royal Guards'? I don't see how you're gonna do it."

"And that's why you're not in charge of creating plans or issuing out orders. You should just let me do the planning for you. You do owe me, after all. Hurry up. I've wasted enough time already. Let's head out." Leol then turned away from Cheetu. He started to walk away. He heard Cheetu's light footsteps behind him. Eventually, they were walking nearly side-by-side. "If anything, it would be wise to target the King. If the King dies, the Royal Guard will have no reason to live."

"They're always surrounding him though. You won't get a chance to dispose of him."

"Are you an idiot? I'm not gonna try to take on the King! In fact, I wasn't even planning on ever confronting the King. Not unless one of you idiots is willing to be a distraction. Depending on the performance, the decoy might actually live to see another day. Pitou is far too curious to just kill one of us on the spot. Pouf would likely not leave the King's side, but he's trouble. Youpi is a wild card, but I imagine he'd be the same. We don't know much about him."

"You keep mentioning "others". Is anyone else here?" Cheetu asked, his green eyes glancing over at Leol.

"Why of course. Flutter and Hina are both here. So are Welfin and Bloster. The latter two keep telling me to give up on my plans...Those _idiots!_ And they call me a fool?! They clearly haven't learned who "Leol" is. As long as I'm around, I'm gonna be plotting! Anyone who interferes will suffer when the time comes."

"They probably haven't gotten to know Leol since everyone has already gotten used to Hagya."

"That's the second time. You say it again, and I'm gonna punch you."

"Welfin and Bloster, huh?" Cheetu laughed. "They came for that deal the Royal Guards offered, right?" Cheetu asked. Leol nodded. Cheetu put a clawed finger to his chin. He looked up to the sky as he thought. "The deal was for us to get power in exchange for loyalty, wasn't it?"  

"You got it. I now have my _Nen_ ability, and Flutter and Hina both have theirs."

"I'm guessing Welfin and Bloster are still receiving their powers, then."

"That's it! _Pouf_ is the one who can bestow powers. It's a really neat ability."

"I'm assuming I'll be more useful with a power, _huh?"_

 _"Excellent_ decision! You'll carry out the Royal Guards' orders while you're really carrying out mine! When you reach then palace, you'll go to Pouf. All you have to do is how and pledge allegiance to the King. Then, he'll prepare a power for you. It'll be perfectly catered just for you. Once you emerge with it, you'll return to me. We'll work side-by-side, until we reach total domination. _We'll_ be kings! Is that enough information for you?" Leol asked.

"Yeah. That's enough."

"Are you ready to work?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

"It's a _deal_ then.'

Leol stopped walking. He turned around to face his fellow former Squadron Leader. The latter stopped in his path as well. He gazed at Leol in curiosity. With a mischievous grin, Leol extended a brown, striped arm out to Cheetu. Cheetu stared down at the hand. He then smiled excitedly. He reached out with a slender, yellow arm. He gripped Leol's hand. The two cats shook simutaneously, thinking about the future and its many possibilities. The deal had been made.

"Okay. What's next?" Cheetu asked, retracting his hand.

"The palace is that way. Once you're done, contact me. Understand?" Leol said.

"Roger." 

"Don't die until you've been useful. That sounds fair, right?"

"That's kind of brutal, but yeah."

"Good. See you real soon."

"Later."

Cheetu then dashed off, leaving Leol's white mane to sway in the powerful gust of wind. Leol watched as Cheetu vanished from sight. Leol chuckled to himself. He then turned away. He started to walk towards the location Pitou had revealed. Leol started to listen to music. He bobbed his head to the beat as he made his way towards his destination.

It was midday. Leol started to sing to himself as he traveled the distance across the rocky ground. The sun was beating down on him. He started sweating. His phone vibrated again. He reached into his pocket to retrieved it. Pitou was calling him again. She was merely stating that she had another mission ready once the current one was done. Pitou told Leol to hurry up. Leol said "yes". Pitou hung up. Leol growled.

"Damn housecat."

Leol was beginning to become frustrated. He tried to imagine exactly how he could prevail if Pitou kept assigning him missions. If he was always busy, there would never be time to plan his next move. He couldn't just sit and take orders like a mindless drone. He was neither Welfin nor Bloster. And he certainly wasn't Colt. Then, Leol put Cheetu in the picture.

"He knows I can't be trusted, but he agreed to help me. I'll keep him around for the time being, but I'll doublecross him later. He's still useful right now," Leol decided, imagining the luxuries that came with bring on top. He then faced a serious thought. "Wait. What is he up to? He's _Cheetu._ He can't stab me in the back, but he knows me. He's smarter than he looks, but that's not saying much."

Leol grunted. "I hate being left in the dark."

Leol then used telepathy to contact Flutter. He ordered his male high-ranking officer to meet with him within the next five minutes. Flutter respectfully agreed. He asked if he should bring Hina with him. Leol turned down the offer. Under normal circumstances, Leol was a cool cat. When he was under intense pressure, he was extremely quick to agitate. Flutter knew this. His superior believed he had zero time to waste. 

* * *

"There we go. I've contacted Leol. He's currently on his second mission. Good for him," Pitou said.

"Yes. _That_ bastard."

"Are you still upset with him? If you want me to, I'd gladly kill him for you. Since he pressured you into an unfair deal with him, one that involved betraying the King nevertheless, I will never forgive him. He's messed with the wrong person. I hope he knows this."

"That second mission does not involve the King, correct?" Pouf asked.

"Correct. It doesn't." She then looked disappointed. Pitou's ruby red eyes looked up at the blond. "You underestimate me, Pouf. I know how to handle these things. Leol obviously cannot be trusted around the King, so I decided to send him out of the palace. Plus, I needed an errand boy. I needed Leol put of the palace for his own safety. You see, Youpi would probably kill him if he ever found him on his own. I know not to let him near the King. I thought you knew me better than that," Pitou responded. She then pouted.

"Well, you did decide to leave the palace, which is where the King is. You know the King, right? The one we're supposed to protect...With our lives. Leaving him alone like that...That doesn't seem like a good idea." Pouf then reached down and rustled her hair. "I'm just messing with you, okay? Just be a good kitty and try not to make any more mistakes."

"Calm down. Youpi's with him. It should be fine," Pitou responded, trying to shrug off the situation. In Pouf's hands were several bags filled with cooking ingredients. Pitou leaned down to sniff them. "That smells good. It's such a shame all this food is going to that girl."

 _"Ughhh._ Don't remind me. I can't believe I have to prepare food for that helpless creature. The King is making his Royal Guard do things for a human. He's not supposed to do that."

"I'm sure it's just a phase. As long as he doesn't give up on world domination, that girl doesn't matter, _nyaaaaaa."_

"But what will happen if she remains? If that girl stays at the King's side, what will become of the King. I fear that the King will no longer be himself. He will change. He will actually care for that damned human!" Pouf yelled, his fists clenching. His perfect teeth gritted against one another. His eyebrows lowered. "Will we even have a purpose? Our sole goal is to protect the King! What if she decided to protect the King?! What if the King no longer wishes to be the King?!"

Pitou reached up and slapped Pouf. His face froze. Once time began again, he gazed down at his older sibling. He was unsure of whether to be angry or grateful. "Stop worrying! That's all you do! Things will change in time! Calm down...I didn't wish to attack you, but you left me no choice. Have you calmed down?"

"Yes. I apologize for being fretful."

"Just hang out with me right now. Don't think about anything else."

"How can I not think about it? I'm literally carrying food for that girl."

_"Pouf."_

"Fine," Pouf sighed, his expression returning to normal. He started walking again. Pitou walked right beside him. "Just a question. What's your favorite color?" 

Pitou was surprised. She glanced up at Pouf. "That's random. Red is my favorite color. What about you?"

"For me, it's a tie between green and blue."

"See? Isn't this nice? I'm not exactly someone who feels emotion, but I feel somewhat attached to you. You are the first person I could say I genuinely like. I admit I don't like to see you upset, or frustrated. I definitely don't like to see you break down like that. Is this understandable?" Pitou questioned. Her tone was slightly confused, as if she could not grasp the affection she felt towards the other Royal Guards.

"I suppose. I'm still lost on what to do. If I ever bring up anything about the girl, the King will likely have my head. But I fear it would also be treason if I allowed this to continue. The King is determined to beat that girl. I could not bring myself to become an obstacle in his path. You come to me for guidance, so I'm now coming to you. I need help."

"Do you ever listen to me? Like I said, for _nyow,_ don't do anything."

"You want me to just sit and do nothing as that girl changes the King?" Pouf asked, keeping himself from expressing his anger. He was beginning to notice that he and Pitou were beginning to argue quite frequently. "The King was born the cruel, immensely-powerful dictator he's supposed to be. If the girl changes him, he won't live up to his title."

"I think you should just sit on the sidelines. Just for now, at least. Has the King shown any true care for this human so far?"

"No."

"Then it's fine. You should just wait until the King wins. He will win eventually. I have no doubt about it," Pitou said casually, looking up at Pouf. "Pouf. I'm not against you. If this girl is a problem, we should eliminate her. Quickly. However, as it stands now, the King would not like that. So there's nothing we can do." Pitou wagged a clawed finger at her younger brother.

"No. Pitou, that's not what I mean. I'm talking about the bigger picture. I believe the intruders you've sensed have come for the King. If you can't guess, that is a major problem. Allow me to explain how. How will we deal with these intruders if we're too busy dealing with the King himself? It is true that we're stronger than them. But they're bound to have _Nen. Nen_ can be unpredictable, can't it?" Pouf explained.

"If you're just gonna ramble on about that girl, I'd rather pick up the pace."

"No! _Wait!_ I'm done. I promise!" 

"Good. This conversation was getting boring. I don't really find enjoyment in just talking to people. I need to have fun, _nyaaaa!"_

"If you truly wish to have fun, allow me to assist you. Once I have prepared a meal for that girl, we will have freedom for the next several hours. If you cannot keep yourself under control, I will play with you. Merely to keep you entertained. If you'd like, I can get Youpi to join. How does this sound, _kitty?"_

The excitement was clear on Pitou's face. She leapt forward and pounced on Pouf. He was sent to the ground. The sudden movement left the younger ant unsure of what to do. Pitou kept hugging him rapidly, giving Pouf very little room for air. "Yes! Thank you! Thank you, Pouf! I'm so happy! We're finally gonna play! I can't wait!"

"I won't be able to fight if I'm unconscious."

"Oh, sorry. My bad, Pouf." Pitou got off Pouf. She pulled the blond to his feet. Pouf dusted off his clothes for the second time. He checked his wings to make sure they weren't torn in any way. He picked up the groceries he had dropped due to Pitou's "attack".

Pouf sighed. He then smiled. He patted Pitou on her head. She grinned happily. Pouf extended his wings. He flew a few feet above the ground. Pitou leapt up and grabbed onto his legs. Pouf flew out of town, and towards the Royal Palace of East Gorteau. Pitou's white hair and Pouf's blond hair blew in the wind as the second Royal Guard flew at an above-average pace. Glancing downwards, Pitou saw Cheetu dashing across the landscape, several kilometers away.

"He's the fourth one to arrive," Pitou said to herself.

"Who are you referring to?"

"Look." Pitou pointed at the speeding figure of Cheetu. He was bolting towards the palace, his purple hair blowing with each footstep. The cat wore his usual arrogant smile. He believed he was the fastest, and he was satisfied just with knowing this. Both Pitou and Pouf were eyeing him from far away. Cheetu was not skilled enough to sense their presences. 

"He should come to me soon." Pouf practically paid zero attention to Cheetu. "He's a fool. His plans are idiotic and short. At the most, he'll make a decent decoy."

"What if he's another Leol? That lion has already caused enough concern for us. What would we do if Cheetu gets ideas too?" Pitou questioned, looking up into the amber eyes of Pouf. "I could just kill him of that happens, but that wouldn't be fun. I only enjoy killing the strong. Cheetu isn't strong enough to actually be considered a threat."

"Neither is Leol, though."

"Yes, but Leol is a different topic. As far as I know, he was of the more charismatic Squadron Leaders. It's highly likely that all his former soldiers have remained in contact with him. If we allow the big cat some leeway, he's be able to take advantage of his soldiers."

"Extra protection for the King, huh? I'll give you that. That's pretty smart."

Once they arrived, Pouf took the lead. The butterfly-man succeeded in remembering the room he had placed Komugi in. Pitou glanced at him, anxious. Pouf nodded at her. He started to head towards the room. Pitou began to follow him, her cat tail swishing with excitement. She couldn't wait to play, just like the cat she was. Pouf checked the map of the palace for the second time. He located the room marked "Kitchen". Pouf made his way in the direction of the palace's kitchen. Upon arrival, he set the bags on the counter. He took all the supplies out of their bags, then he threw all the bags away. As he did so, Pitou sat on the counter, staring down at motley of items with fascination. Pitou handed her phone to Pouf. He searched for a list of popular foods, then checked the items he had purchased. He found a food item that didn't look too time-consuming. He prepared it, then set it in the oven. Pitou set it to a high temperature. The two siblings waited for forty-five minutes. During that time, Pouf was a victim of Pitou's playful personality. He decided to just ignore her. Just as Pitou was beginning to play with his antennae for the umpteenth time, a _BEEP!_ was heard. Pouf put on an oven mitt. He set the platter on the countertop.

 _"Yum!_ That smells really good," Pitou exclaimed happily. She leaned forward from her position on the counter and leaned down to take a bite. She opened her mouth. 

"You can have what remains, Pitou. That girl gets first serve for this thing, remember?" Pouf asked, annoyed. He swiped the food away from Pitou. The older ant hissed at him. "I do not wish to give this girl food, but the King has demanded it. On the contrary, I'm sure the King won't mind if you have some."

"Good. I'm not hungry, but that smells good."

Pitou and Pouf then headed towards Komugi's room. Pouf stood slightly in front of Pitou. He scowled outside the girl's door for several seconds, glowering at Komugi through the slightly-open door. He knew she was not capable of sensing his vehemence. He saw the girl sitting down on her bed, staring at the wall. This girl's apparent lack intelligence was the feature that truly irritated Pouf. The fact that this creature had managed to best his king during every single match brought Pouf close to crying. He felt his fists tighten and his feet seemed to sink into the ground. Eventually, he managed to regain his composure. He slowly pushed the door open, and walked inside. Pitou followed closely behind him, letting herself into the room.

Komugi's head immediately darted in the direction of the opening door. She had zero vision, but this meant her hearing had to be quite sharp. She waited with anticipation as Pouf entered the room. He stood to her left, crossing his slender arms. Pouf was free to give her any look he desired. He scowled angrily. Pitou frowned at him.

"Listen up. I have prepared a meal for you. It isn't mandatory that you like it. You will either eat what I have made, or you will starve. Stand up. I will take you to the kitchen. You will receive your plate, then you will come back. You better remember which ways we turn, as I will not be escorting you back. Can you comprehend these directions?" 

"U-um, yes," Komugi stuttered. She recognized Pouf's voice as the one from the other day. This was the man who had led her to her room. It was the man who had threatened to strike her during her Gungi match with the King.

"So what are you waiting on? Stand up."

"Make it quick," Pitou added. "Standing here like this is boring me."

"Yes!" The new voice scared Komugi. It was so soft and feminine, but at the same time, it was frightening. 

Komugi stood to her feet. She reached over and retrieved her walking stick. Pouf eyed the tool with scorn. He had zero praise for the society that allowed those with disabilities to live alongside the stronger beings. He believed that it defied all logic. Pouf was tempted to break the walking stick, just to introduce her to the real world. He then realized the King would likely have him get a new one for her. Pitou sensed his animosity again. She gave him another look.

Pouf grabbed Komugi's left arm, leaving her to feel around, her walking stick in her right arm. Pouf left the room quickly, dragging the white-haired idiot along with him. Pitou lagged a inches behind them, her attention switching to a new object every few seconds. He walked down the hallway, and down the stairs. If he continued at his current pace, he knew it would take approximately seven minutes to reach the royal kitchen. He smirked. Although it didn't matter, he wished to give Komugi as much trouble as he could.

Pouf picked up the pace, attempting to mess up the girl's rhythm. He was successful. The sudden change brought Pitou's full attention back to Pouf. To keep up with him without effort, she merely jumped onto his shoulders. He gave her a sharp glare. She smiled at his frustration. Pouf looked down again. He knew she would just do it again if he knocked her off. It was just his luck that Pitou liked to perch on his shoulders.

He soon reached the kitchen. Pitou jumped off his shoulders and landed onto the countertop, where she waited impatiently. He cut out a large portion of the lasagna and set it on a plate. He shoved the plate into the girl's hand. A wide smile appeared on Komugi's face as the lovely aroma rose upwards. She sniffed loudly. "Th-thank you!"

"Sure," Pouf said flatly. "You better eat quickly. The King would not be pleased if you were eating while he wished to play Gungi. There's no telling what he would do. Eat as if your life depends on it."

"Yes!" Komugi blurted. She quickly left the room, the lasagna plate in her hand. She used her walking stick to leave the room. Due to Pouf's speed, she failed to remember every turn he had made throughout the palace. Pouf grinned in triumph. Pitou watched her go with a smile. This human girl was interesting to her.

Pouf walked over to Pitou. He tapped her on the shoulder. The older Royal Guard looked up at her younger sibling in curiosity. "Huh?"

"The lasagna is all yours. Dig in," Pouf said, gesturing to the cheesy mass before him.

Pitou dashed towards the plate. She jumped onto the table and dove into the meal. She stuffed her face with huge, lumpy pieces of cheese, noodles, and beef as she ate like a ravenous carnivore. Pitou stood on all four of her limbs. Pouf looked on, somewhat sickened. Still, he approached his companion. He gently ran his hand up and down Pitou's back. She enjoyed being petted. 

Youpi entered the room. He had been drawn in by the lovely scent of the meal. Pouf instantly noticed his presence. He turned his head in his brother's direction. Pitou's sharp ears heard Youpi's footsteps. She retracted her head from the dish. It was covered in sauce and cheese. She and Pouf greeted Youpi. 

"The King chased me out. I've decided to stick with you guys," Youpi explained.

"Good call. I've prepared a meal. Pitou has already gotten started." Pouf then turned his attention to Pitou. She looked back at him. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing, right?"

Pitou have Pouf a venomous glare. She was extremely territorial about her possessions. Pouf grinned. Youpi approached the platter. The aroma seemed to please him. With one red arm, he lifted Pitou off the ground. He tucked her underneath his right arm. She cried out in protest, but Youpi ignored her. He broke off a rather big piece of lasagna. He shoved it into his mouth. He grinned. He looked down at Pouf.

"This is tasty. Thanks!" 

"You don't need to thank me. I would rather see you two eat this than that girl. The King had me prepare this food for her. He was too serious about his demand. He didn't hesitate or anything. This is known as "lasagna". It's a very popular dish. It doesn't take long to make it either. You're free to eat as you please."

"That's good. I haven't eaten in days."

"If you would like the best dinner experience, I would recommend releasing Pitou. If you do not, I believe you might possibly me a target later on," Pouf said.

"What do you mean?"

"I agreed to help calm Pitou's playful urges once the King has drifted off to sleep. If I don't, she won't be able to keep herself from moving. You know how annoying Pitou can be, so how would you like to assist me? The three of us are quite the trio, aren't we? It'll be entertaining."

"You're right. She _is_ annoying," Youpi laughed, staring down at his older sibling. He no longer felt uncomfortable around them, despite their eccentricities. He flicked Pitou on her forehead. He then released her. Pitou fell to her feet. She leapt back onto the table to continue feasting on the lasagna. Youpi pushed her over so he could join in too. Pouf looked on, amused.

Pitou and Youpi finished the lasagna within minutes. Both of them licked their lips clean. Pouf, disgusted, wiped off their faces with napkins. Pitou got off the table. Youpi stood up to his full height. Pouf made a noise. Both of the other Royal Guards angled their heads in his direction.

"Have you sensed something?" Youpi asked.

"Yes. My ability tells me that Welfin has emerged from his cocoon. He now has his _Nen_ ability. Pitou, if you have a mission for him, he is now ready. Although, you've been assigning missions that are expected to fail. Am I wrong?" 

"No. You've got it. I don't trust any of the other ants. They're all pawns," Pitou answered.

"No wonder these fools are so focused on earning our trust. But, you two already have the system rigged," Youpi said.

"We _had_ to rig it. We can't let any of these other ants anywhere near the King. It's the one concern about the occasional free time we've been granted. During these times, the King so does not wish to see us. We could disobey him, though. But, the consequence for that is death."

"Yes. I was greeted with a lash to the face. It didn't truly hurt, but it was just one swing. Imagine what the King could do if he actually focused on killing us," Pouf added.

"We would be obliterated," Youpi stated.

"Yes. So we're choosing to obey him then?"

"Yeah. What else is there to do? There is no other option. The Selection is drawing near. Getting ourselves killed is the worst betrayal we could make to the King. We're supposed to be his Royal Guards," Pitou answered. She then started to walk away. "Come on, you two. Once I tell Welfin what to do, we're gonna have fun."

"In that case, he shouldn't be too far. He should still be on the first floor."

Pitou tracked down Welfin with her sharp sense of smell. As a bonus, Welfin had actually run into Cheetu. The two former Squadron Leaders were chatting. Welfin was becoming annoyed at Cheetu's endless rambling. Cheetu could never stop talking. As the three Royal Guards approached them, they stopped talking.

"Welfin, your mission is to patrol the palace for the time being. If you spot any intruders, you are to subdue them. You will then bring them to me, for I will interrogate them," Pitou commanded.

"Yes, Pitou-dono!" Welfin then left to commence his orders.

"Cheetu, do you swear allegiance to the King? Do you swear to perform our demands without complaint and fight to the very end for His Majesty? Do you swear to never betray His Majesty, and to use your powers solely for him?"

"Yes. I do," Cheetu said, bowing respectfully.

"Good."

"Cheetu, follow me," Pouf commanded. Pouf then began to leave. Cheetu trailed behind him at a steady pace, silently marching behind Pouf. Pitou waved to Youpi. The red beast followed his oldest sibling back to their lounge room.

* * *

 The next morning came rather slowly. After spending the entire night keeping Pitou from being bored, Pouf and Youpi were both incredibly on edge. Pitou had just kept pouncing on them over and over again. She kept demanding them to scratch her ears and to allow her to lay in either of their laps. Pouf was frustrated because Pitou kept playing with his hair, his cape, and his antennae. She had wrestled with him several times, as this was something cats commonly did. Each time, Pouf was pinned, as Pitou was physically stronger than him. 

Youpi's ears had been rubbed and stretched to the point of being numb. The youngest Royal Guard had fallen asleep at some point during the night. Pouf sighed with relief. All of Pitou's attention was no longer on him. He had merely watched with some form of sympathy as Youpi had laid there, unconscious, Pitou perched on his back.

"That was fun, guys," Pitou stated.

"For you, that is. The next time, we won't be playing. We'll just be spending time together. You've officially made me hate all physical competitions," Pouf frowned.

"Come on, Pouf. Lighten up. We don't want to be upset when you go to the King."

"I'm no longer monitoring the King's matches. The girl upsets me far too much, so I will stay away. If the King changes, we will deal with that girl. For now, I'm just having fun with you two."

 _"Damn!_  My ears hurt like _hell!"_ Youpi grunted.

"Sorry about that. I play rough," Pitou apologized.

"We can tell. I can't tell you how many times my back was against the floor last night," Pouf said.

"Like I said, I'm sorry."

"Will you get off me already?" Youpi demanded. 

Pitou got off Youpi's back, annoyed that her playtime had ended so abruptly. She helped Youpi to his feet. The youngest Royal Guard cracked his neck, then proceeded to pop all of his fingers. Each sound was increasingly-grating to Pitou. Pouf stood up, then stretched. Unlike Youpi, he hadn't fallen asleep.

"When will the King commence Gungi?" Pitou asked.

"He will play again shortly. That girl should currently be on her way there as we speak. _Hmmmmmmmmm._..I changed my mind. I should monitor this match. You two have fun. I'll be back shortly."

"Later," Pitou said.

"See ya," Youpi said.

Pouf then left the room. He made his way to the King's game room. The King was sitting in his seat, folding his arms. He glanced up at Pouf upon his subordinate's arrival. Pouf took his usual position in the room. He sat in the chair that stood a few feet away from the table.

Komugi entered the room, using her walking stick to feel her way to her seat. She sat down. This time, she actually smiled in the King's presence. The King stared at the girl, bewildered. She actually seemed happy to see him. However, the King made a point to never seem confused before any opponent.

"I hope you've prepared to lose. This day, your name will be stripped from the record. Prepare yourself," the King warned.


End file.
